


Under The Surface

by VixxsFantasyGirl



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Romance, Royalty, Smut, Supernatural - Freeform, Suspense, also porn??, baekhyun is a cutie, chanyeol is a prince, royalAU, tooo much fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-08-23 03:05:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 24,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16610699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VixxsFantasyGirl/pseuds/VixxsFantasyGirl
Summary: When Chanyeol is rescued by a pair of sparkling blue eyes, he'll learn that there is much more to his savior than he realized...





	1. The Cost Of Freedom

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure if this warrants trigger warnings, but there's /slight/ violence later on. Nothing too graphic.  
> Also, don't worry, future chapters will be much longer!

Ever since he was a young boy, Park Chanyeol had always had a love for storms.  Bright...beautiful...

But there was one trait he had never really associated with them: _dangerous_.  That is, until one tried to kill him.

 

\--

 

**_July 15, 1875_ **   
**_4:27 A.M._ **

 

It was the middle of the night, and Chanyeol could only toss and turn.  The rocking of the ship and the creaking floorboards couldn’t even lull him to sleep.  It wasn’t unusual.  He hadn’t slept well in years.  But tonight was particularly bothersome.

After ten more minutes of pointlessly counting sheep, Chanyeol sighed and sat up.  On the side of the ship, he could hear the heavy splatter of rain.  A loud boom of thunder rumbled above, and the ship proceeded to rock a little more. Having spent half his life on a ship, he knew the rules backward and forward.

_Rule #4:  Always stay below deck during a storm._

This was a typical safety rule for everyone onboard, but for him it had been especially engrained.  His parents had assigned practically an entire staff to keep him safe.  That didn’t stop him, though.  Chanyeol grew up rambunctious—climbing trees, sliding down railings, jumping off ledges, swimming across wild rivers, almost giving his mother a heart attack every month or so.

The thunder hammered again, and Chanyeol smiled.  He had always been a rebel.  Why stop now?  He stood up in his light blue pajama bottoms, and stepped into his slippers.  Opening his cabin door, he peeked out and listened for any signs of someone else.  When all he heard was the storm, Chanyeol quickly pattered up the stairs and onto the deck.

Looking around, he saw that he was alone.  He sighed in relief, smiling to himself as his heart fluttered happily.  Apart from bathing and sleeping, it was rare that he got a moment completely to himself.

Chanyeol kicked off his slippers and placed his feet on the cold wooden deck, giggling childishly as the water sloshed back and forth over his toes.  Oh, how free it felt.  Chanyeol longed for freedom.  Not that he hated being a prince, but...sometimes...

Sometimes, he just wanted to leave it all behind him and escape.

He had fantasies about leaving the kingdom, dressing as a pauper, living off the land... He could do it.  Chanyeol was sharp.  He was also a charmer.  He knew how to win people’s hearts.  Surely, the commoners would love him, even without his royal status...

Chanyeol sighed, leaning against the railing and looking out at the rolling waves.  “Who am I kidding?” he mumbled to himself.

He knew it was pointless to daydream.  It was impossible to leave the kingdom.  As said, he was never alone.  His parents’ advisor, Seung, was always at his side, which could be both good and bad.  Besides, even if he did somehow magically get away, he knew in his heart that he wouldn’t go through with it.  Too many people depended on him.

Chanyeol sighed again and closed his eyes, feeling the cool wind flow through his vibrant red hair.  He didn’t care that he was getting soaked.  He was going to enjoy what little time he could before they arrived home in an hour or so and he was forced to get back to his duties.

After a few minutes, he started to get cold.  Opening his eyes, he looked out upon the sea once more, whispering to it.

“Goodnight, freedom.  I hope we meet again soon.”

With that, he turned around, heading back to where he had left his slippers.  Before he could get to them, his foot slipped on the wooden planks.  His yelp was cut short when his head hit the railing, rendering him unconscious.  As the storm raged on, the crew slept peacefully in their cabins, unaware that their prince’s body had been swept off the ship and into the dark water below.

 

 

 

\--:--

 

 


	2. Angel Of The Deep

 

Cold...

Darkness...

It seemed to envelop him in a vice grip.  He felt as if he was free-floating through space.  An endless nothingness.

Then, he remembered the hard thump of his head against the railing.

_Am I dead...?_

The last fleeting thought that the prince had was that he _must_ be dead, because seconds before the world turned black, he hallucinated a beautiful young face beside him in the sea.

 

\--

 

_Breathe._

_Huh...?_

_Breathe, Channie._

Chanyeol vaguely registered that he was having a conversation with his own mind.

_But—_

_BREATHE!!_

Chanyeol’s body lurched as a flood of salty ocean water spouted from his lungs.  He felt his chest being wracked with coughs, and he used all his strength to roll onto his side to get them out.  Gasping for air, he choked out the last few spurts of liquid.  Once he started getting large gulps of fresh air, he collapsed on his back again, his chest heaving with deep breaths.  He let out a low groan.  His body felt like it was made of lead.  And he hurt _everywhere_.

 _But wait_ , he thought.

_It hurts.  That means... I’m alive._

Chanyeol’s eyes flew open to a dark, stormy sky floating above him.  A bolt of lightning skittered across the clouds, and it took him a minute to register that his face was getting rained on.  He ran his hands over his cheeks, groaning softly before dropping his tired arms to his side.  That’s when he felt something soft and grainy under his fingers.

It felt like... _sand?_

Still feeling a little disoriented, he carefully sat up and looked around.  He was on the beach.  _His_ beach.  His castle was just up the hill.  He knew because he had seen the coast in the distance when he—

Chanyeol gasped.  He tried to stand up, but his legs were too wobbly.  Somewhere in the distance, he saw his ship bobbing on the waves.  He shifted to his knees, cupping his mouth and crying out.

“H-hel-he-help!!” he rasped, but his voice was too weak to make any real noise.

 _Great_...

He sat back on his heels, trying to think of a plan when a soft sound caught his attention.  Chanyeol turned to look, only to see a pair of bright blue eyes watching him from behind a rock.

The tall prince let out an ungodly shriek, practically jumping a foot in the air while clutching his pounding heart.  “You scared me half to death!”

The spying eyes widened in surprise and quickly backed away.  It was then that Chanyeol realized it was a young man.

“Hey...w-wait!! You...you saved me... It was you, right?  How did you-”

He attempted to scoot closer, but before he could, the face disappeared.

“Wait!!” he choked out.

He crawled over to the rock, but when he checked behind it, there was no one there.  Chanyeol frowned.  “What the hell...?”

 “Your highness! _Your highness!!_ ”

Chanyeol blinked and turned toward the sound.  His eyes widened and his heart pounded in relief when he saw his advisor and one of his maids rowing frantically towards him in a small boat.

When they reached the shore, Seung practically tumbled out of the boat and raced over to Chanyeol, the maid in tow with a scared look on her face.

“Thank heavens!  We thought you were dead, your highness!!” Seung cried, wrapping a large blanket tightly around Chanyeol’s soaked body.

Chanyeol shivered, hugging the blanket close.  “H-how did you know where I was...?”

The maid caught up to them, rubbing her prince’s back for warmth as she spoke.  “I went to check on you, sir, but you weren’t there!!  I went up to the deck, and I saw your slippers, but you were gone! I was so worried, so I went and got Seung.  He said that you must have fallen off the ship! What were you doing on deck?? You know how dangerous that is!!”

Chanyeol cringed.  “I just wanted to see the storm...”

His advisor looked even more angry with him than usual, and Chanyeol knew he wasn’t going to hear the end of it this time.  He shivered again and winced visibly.

“Are you alright, your highness...?” the maid asked.

Chanyeol groaned softly, rubbing the back of his head.  “Yeah... I... may have, um...hit my head earlier...”

“What??” Seung shouted, causing Chanyeol to wince again.  “Good god, Chanyeol, what am I going to do with you??  Do I have to lock you in a damned tower like a damsel to keep you safe—”

“Your highness!!” the maid screeched. “You’re bleeding!!”

She let out a nervous cry as Chanyeol looked down, seeing a dark liquid coating his fingertips.  He hissed softly, wiping the blood on his wet pants.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Kim.  ‘Tis only a head wound,” he smiled slightly with a teasing twinkle in his eye.

She huffed. “Do not joke about such things, your highness.  You’re injured...”

Seung gave him a disapproving look, and Chanyeol’s smile faded, replaced by guilt.  When he saw the tiredness in the prince’s eyes, he sighed in resignation.  “Let’s get you home and get the doctor to check on you.”

Chanyeol nodded and slowly followed the others along the beach.

“By the way, how did you get here? Did you swim?” Seung asked.

Chanyeol shook his head.  “No... I... I was rescued.”

The two of them looked at him, startled.  “By who??” the maid asked, both of them looking around for said rescuer.

Chanyeol looked back at the ocean, his eyes full of wonder as he spoke softly, reverently.  “My guardian angel.”

He took one last look at the water before he sighed and continued walking.  Seung and Mrs. Kim shared a confused look before trailing behind him as they headed home.

 

\--

 

From the dark, crashing waves in the distance, a pair of curious blue eyes watched the prince disappear once more into the storm.

 

 

\--:--

 

 


	3. Shadows In The Night

**_August 23, 1875_ **

**_2:38 A.M._ **

 

Chanyeol lay on his gold, satin sheets, staring in boredom at the ceiling.  As usual, he wished his mind would turn off so he could get a few hours of sleep.  But every night, his dreams were plagued by a mysterious stranger.  For the last month or so, it was all he could think about when he closed his eyes.  The icy, dark water... the fear... the ache in his lungs... the blue eyes that stared at him in wonder...

He sighed loudly and sat up, throwing his long legs over the side of the bed.  Once again, it was no use.  Another night’s sleep lost to his thoughts.  He stood up, stretched his back, and quietly shuffled across the dark room, as to not wake up the servants in the room below him.  The last thing he needed right now was another stern lecture from Seung.

Chanyeol approached the large French doors and unhooked the latch, stepping out onto the small balcony.  A cool, misty breeze of nighttime ocean air brushed over his skin, and he closed his eyes, inhaling it deeply before letting out a heavy sigh. 

Ever since he was a child, Chanyeol had a deep connection with the sea.  He was fascinated by its many wonders and often talked of wanting to become a scientist so he could study the thousands of beautiful and dangerous creatures that filled its endless depths.  His parents let him entertain the idea, but his advisor was against it, often complaining to Mr. and Mrs. Park that the young prince’s head was in the clouds and that he needed to focus more on his royal duties instead. 

After Chanyeol’s parents passed away, Chanyeol’s dreams of studying the ocean got buried under the mountain of responsibilities that came with being an orphaned prince.  But as burdened as he felt, he knew it had been much harder on his older brother who had stepped up and taken their father’s place as king.  In comparison, Chanyeol had it pretty easy.  There was much to do, but at least he had _some_ moments to himself.  Moments of peace.  Moments where he could stand on his balcony in the late-night hours and listen to the waves crash upon the rocks below.

Chanyeol was doing just that when he heard a faint splash.  His eyes flew open, and he looked down, searching the coast for its source.  Another soft splash came from near the rocks, and Chanyeol squinted his eyes.  Then was when he saw it: a shadowy figure.  It was too dark to make out, but Chanyeol swore something had ducked behind the large rocks.  Something bigger than an animal.

... A person...?

Chanyeol’s eyes widened, and he gasped, thinking that someone might be being dragged out to sea.  The tall prince grabbed his red, silk robe and snuck out of his room, quickly skipping down the stairs and out the front door, forgetting in his haste to shut it behind him.  He ran towards the water, and shouted slightly once he was far enough away from the castle.

“Don’t worry, I’m coming! Hold on!!”

Chanyeol bolted to the spot where he had noticed the dark figure, but stopped short when he saw that there was no one there.  Confused, he looked around the shore, calling out.

“Hello?? Is anyone there??”

When no answer came, he frowned and crossed his arms. 

“If there’s someone there, you better answer me.  It isn’t funny to pretend to drown!  Because one day, if you really do need help, people won’t believe you!”

Still, no answer.  Chanyeol waited another few moments and then sighed, dropping his arms.

“Maybe it _was_ just an animal,” he mumbled to himself.  “You’re losing it, Chanyeol.”

He shook his head and turned back toward the castle.  He took two steps before whipping his head around just to make sure that no one really was pranking him, and that was when he saw the flash of an arm.

“Aha!! I knew it!” he shouted. “I know you’re there.  I _saw_ you,” he added before sighing. “Come on out.  I’m not going to hurt you...”

Chanyeol waited a few more moments and was about to give up and head back inside when suddenly four beautiful, slender fingers wrapped themselves around the side of the rock.  Chanyeol stared at them, thinking that they were the most beautiful fingers he had ever seen, and he was not prepared for what followed.

A pair of eyes peeked out from the side and locked onto Chanyeol’s wide ones.

“ _YOU_...” he choked out once his brain started to work again.  “I-It’s _you_...”

Chanyeol took a step forward but stopped when the blue eyes backed away.  He put his hands up quickly, palms out.

“Don’t worry! I won’t...I won’t hurt you...” he said softly.

The eyes seemed to stop backing away, and Chanyeol stopped advancing and decided to crouch down instead.

“It’s the height, isn’t it?  Sorry.  Sometimes, I forget how intimidating I come across.  I swear, I’m a gentle giant...”

He stayed in his crouched position, watching the eyes intently, his voice calm and careful.  He felt as if a delicate little butterfly had just landed on his palm, and he didn’t want to frighten it away.

“I... I can’t believe you’re real...” he whispered.

The blue eyes narrowed slightly in confusion.

Chanyeol chuckled quietly, shaking his head.  “I’m not making sense, am I?  It’s just... well... after that night... when you saved me... It just... it feels _unreal_ , I suppose.  I thought I might have dreamt you up.”

The eyes relaxed a little but didn’t leave Chanyeol’s face.  They seemed to stare at him in wonder, and Chanyeol couldn’t help but notice that they almost seemed to sparkle.

“Your eyes....” he spoke softly.  “They’re glorious.  The most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen...”

That seemed to make the other shy, because the eyes dropped down to stare at the ground for a moment.  Chanyeol bit his lip, suddenly remembering the robe he was holding.

“Oh, here.  I brought this for you.  You must be freezing.  Please... let me take you inside.  You can get warm by the fire, and I can get you a mug of hot chocolate or something.  I don’t want you to stay out here in this cold.  You could catch your death out here...”

But as Chanyeol moved towards the eyes, they jerked back again, causing Chanyeol to frown.  “Please... I won’t hurt you, I promise.  You don’t have to be afraid.  Just—”

“Chanyeol!!” an all-too familiar voice called out.

Chanyeol groaned, half-talking to himself.  “Great.”

He looked back at the blue eyes.  “Just...stay there a moment.  I’ll handle this.”

Chanyeol stood up and turned toward the voice, inwardly sighing at the sight.  His advisor—donning a nightgown, slippers, and stocking cap—was stumbling over the sandy path towards him with a half-awake, grumpy look on his pinched face.

“Park Chanyeol!” he barked.  “You better have a damned good explanation for giving me such a fright at this hour!”

Chanyeol fought the urge to roll his eyes.  “In what way did I give you a ‘fright’?”

Seung narrowed his eyes at Chanyeol’s sarcastic tone.  “Don’t give me that sass, boy.  I thought you had been taken!”

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow with subtle amusement.  “And what, pray tell, put such a ridiculous thought into your head?”

“I heard thumping noises on the staircase, so I came to check on you, but your bedroom door was open. And you were gone! I went downstairs, thinking that perhaps you had made some tea or something, but you weren’t there.  And I noticed that the front door was wide open!  What else was I to think, Chanyeol??” he snapped.

Chanyeol winced, groaning when he remembered that he forgot to shut the door.  “I just went out for... a night walk.  I couldn’t sleep again.  I’m sorry, Seung.  I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

Seung huffed, but when he saw the sincerity in Chanyeol’s eyes, he relaxed his stance a little and shook his head.

“I swear, your highness.  One of these days, you’re truly going to give me a heart condition,” he grumbled tiredly before yawning.  “Come.  Let’s get you back to bed.  You need to wake up early for your meeting with Lord Shin.”

Chanyeol sighed, nodding.  “Yes, I haven’t forgotten.  Alright, let’s return to bed.”

Seung nodded and started heading back to the castle.  Chanyeol waited until he was far enough ahead then turned back toward the water, speaking quietly.

“Come.  Let’s get—”

He blinked, seeing that the eyes were no longer there.

“Hello...?” he said, searching around but seeing no one.

He frowned, wondering what he’d said to frighten the poor soul away.

“Chanyeol!” Seung barked again.

This time, Chanyeol did roll his eyes before calling out, “I’m _coming_!”

Chanyeol gave one more look to the lonely sea before sighing and heading back to bed.

 

 

\--:--

 

 

 


	4. New Recruits

 

**_April 25 th, 1876_ **

**_3:18 p.m._ **

 

Eight months passed by without another sighting.  It had been so long that Chanyeol deemed the entire thing a hallucination brought on by a lack of sleep.  No longer plagued by visions of two ethereal blue orbs in the night, the prince’s dreams had slowly turned to other things until he had quite forgotten the incident altogether.

Chanyeol stood in front of his mirror adjusting his cuff links, thinking about the day’s duties ahead of him.  He hummed softly as he slid on his navy blue royal coat, fastening the golden buttons in the front before smoothing it out with his hands and checking his reflection once more.  When he was satisfied with his look, he opened his bedroom door and headed down the long staircase adorned with red velvet.  When he reached the bottom, several young maids scurried over to him, taking turns with their statements and inquiries.

“The horses are fed, your highness.  Shall I saddle one for you?”

“Your highness, can I fetch your boots?”

“Shall I make you your afternoon tea, your highness?”

Chanyeol held up a single hand, and the maids went silent.

“Thank you, ladies.  I do not require any assistance at this time.  Please return to your chores.  I wish to be left alone.”

“Yes, your highness,” they spoke in unison before scuttling off.

Chanyeol headed down the hall and opened the large, oak doors at the end.  Once inside, he shut them and leaned back against the wood, sighing softly, looking around at his father’s study.  This was his happy place, the one room he could come to where no one would bother him.  He smiled to himself as he eased down into the large, red, leather chair and rested his arms on the massive wooden desk in front of him.  It was times like these when Chanyeol was grateful for his royal status.

After an hour of signing papers, a knock rapped on the door.  Chanyeol frowned, taking off his glasses and letting them hang on a golden chain around his neck.

“What is it?” he grumbled.

The door opened and a short, pinch-faced man in his 40’s stood in the archway.

“What do you want, Seung?”

Chanyeol’s advisor gave him a look that showed he clearly didn’t like the way that the prince spoke to him, but he held his tongue.

“My _sincerest apologies_ for bothering you, your highness,” he said insincerely, “but they’ve arrived.”

Chanyeol looked unfazed.  “And you require my presence because...?”

Seung sighed.  “You know that the law states that the royal family must inspect any new staff members upon arrival.  And since your brother isn’t here...”

“That leaves me in charge...”

“Very astute observation, your highness.”

Chanyeol rolled his eyes at Seung’s sarcastic tone and waved him off.

“I’ll be there in a moment.  Now, leave my study, Seung.”

His advisor narrowed his eyes, and Chanyeol sighed.

“ _Please_.”

Seung shook his head in a _what-am-I-going-to-do-with-you_ sort of way but stepped out of the archway anyway, shutting the heavy door.

 

\--

 

After finishing with the paper in front of him, Chanyeol tucked it back into the drawer beside him.  He took off his reading glasses and laid them on the desk before standing up and adjusting himself.  Taking a deep breath and pushing aside the wish that his brother was home to do this, he left the study, locking the doors behind him, and headed to the main parlor.

Upon arriving, Chanyeol saw Seung, Mrs. Kim, and two other maids standing by.  In front of them stood a row of ten young men and women, some of them seeming to be as young as 15 years old.  Seung looked at Chanyeol expectantly and gestured to the line of people.

“They’re ready for inspection, your highness.”

Chanyeol nodded, clasping his hands behind his back in an attempt to appear taller and more serious as he approached the first person—a young woman.  His height towered over her, and she seemed to shrink back a little in reflex at the intimidating stance he held above her.

“Name?” he spoke, confidently but not overbearingly.

“M-Minah,” the woman answered with a nervous quiver on her lips.

Chanyeol relaxed his stance slightly and used a softer tone.

“How old are you, my dear?”

The woman seemed to relax a little in return, her voice more stable.

“14, sir.”

“ _Your highness_ ,” Seung corrected behind her.

“Y-your highness!” she quickly added.

Chanyeol fought back the urge to smack the smug, little man, instead settling on a sharp look in his direction, causing him to look at the floor.  Chanyeol turned back to the girl with a soft smile.

“Don’t worry, my dear.  I am not a highly strict prince.  You do not need to fear a slip-up around me.”

She nodded, keeping her eyes down.  “T-thank you, sir... I-I mean your highness.”

“You’re welcome.  Now, I know this is embarrassing, but I’m afraid I am required to ask this.  Do you carry any diseases?”

The girl blushed and shook her head.  “No, your highness.”

“Good.  Are you with child?  I know you are young, but the law requires me to also ask this.”

“No, your highness.  I am clean in every way.”

Chanyeol smiled.  “Good.  One last question.  What is the position you seek, Miss Minah?”

“I believe that I would make a good maid, your highness.  I am quite skilled in cleaning, sir.”

Chanyeol nodded.  “Very well.  You have passed all my requirements.  You may have a position on my staff.”

“Thank you, your highness!  I shall not let you down!”

With that, the young girl smiled brightly and curtsied before taking her place next to Mrs. Kim, as she was Chanyeol’s head maid.

The same process followed for each person in line, only two being cut from the group-one for having a criminal record and the other for contracting a contagious disease.

 

So far, the hired members were as follows:

**_Minah_ ** _, age 14, maid_

**_Yura_ ** _, age 15, seamstress_

**_Sojin_ ** _, age 17, cook’s assistant_

**_Hyeri_ ** _, age 18, horse caretaker_

**_Jeonghan_ ** _, age 19, cook’s assistant_

**_Jongdae_ ** _, age 20, servant_

**_Yixing_ ** _, age 22, servant_

 

When Chanyeol stepped in front of the last person in line, he came face-to-face with a head of raven-black hair and the most beautiful, dark brown eyes he had ever seen.  For a moment, he was rendered speechless until Seung cleared his throat.  Chanyeol blinked, and inhaled sharply, realizing he’d been holding his breath.

“Chanyeol...are you alright?” Seung asked.

The young man in front of Chanyeol stared at him in slight confusion, wondering if something was wrong.  He had done nothing wrong, of course.  But Chanyeol couldn’t shake the feeling that something was...different...about him.

“I’m fine, Seung.  I was just...distracted.”

Seung raised his eyebrow in confusion.  “...alright...”

Chanyeol cleared his throat, trying to gain his composure.

“Um...where was I?  Oh, yes.  Name, please.”

The young man in front of him just stared in silence.

Chanyeol frowned.  “I asked your name, sir.”

The man made no attempt to answer, leaving Chanyeol slightly frustrated.

“Do you understand me?  Can you speak?”

When no reply came, Chanyeol looked at Seung.

“Why does he not answer?  Is he...not bright?”

Seung looked at a form he was holding.

“I have the notes from your recruiter.  He states here that the boy never uttered a single word.  However, he showed no sign of lacking intelligence, so he thought perhaps the boy was deaf.  I suppose that was wrong, though, because it also states that when he asked him his name, he showed them the symbol that hung around his neck.”

“Symbol...?” Chanyeol looked at the man in front of him, confused.  “Show it to me, please.”

Seeming to snap out of a trance, the young man suddenly reached into the collar of his shirt and pulled out the slender, golden chain that adorned his neck.  On the end of the chain hung a beautiful, diamond-studded charm in the shape of a sunburst.  When he turned it over, it was engraved with a name.

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol stated, then looked at the man.  “Your name is Baekhyun?”

The man nodded and quickly tucked the charm back into his shirt.  Chanyeol watched in wonder.  The man’s long, beautiful fingers reminded him of...a dream, somehow.  Before he could give it much attention, Seung’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“It says here that he is clean, your highness.  And that he is highly skilled in many areas, including cleaning, washing, and cooking.”

Chanyeol blinked, snapping out of it.  “I see... Well.  It looks like you have yourself a job, Baekhyun.  You will be a servant here.  Now, head over and join the others.”

Baekhyun nodded, bowed in silent gratitude, and went to stand next to his fellow staff members. Chanyeol straightened up, his hands once again clasped behind him as he spoke in a leading tone.

“Alright.  Welcome to my home.  _Your_ home now.  You will all be sleeping in the servant’s quarters.  The men and women have separate bedrooms and baths.  Each of you will have separate duties assigned to you by Mrs. Kim.  You will do them daily, and you will do them well.  That being said, I do not fire people easily, so you do not have to stress about occasional mistakes.  As I mentioned before, I am not highly strict.  However!  I _do_ maintain a well-kept house, and you _are_ here to work.  I do expect a certain level of fulfillment from each and every one of you.  There are only a few strict rules here:  Stay out of the kitchen unless you work there.  Stay out of my bedroom unless you obtain my permission to clean it.  And stay out of my study.  It is the only true room off limits.  Once again, this is my _home_ , and I highly value my privacy, so only bother me there if it is a true emergency.  One last thing.  Theft will _not_ be tolerated.  If you are caught stealing, you will be fired immediately, and I will also contact the proper authorities.  Is that understood?”

The eight young men and women nodded, and Chanyeol relaxed a little.

“Good.  Your duties won’t start until morning.  For today, you are free to relax.  Explore the castle.  Get to know my staff.  Make yourselves at home.  I will see you all tomorrow.  You are dismissed.”

The new members bowed again and scattered off in different directions throughout the house, their eyes full of wonder as they chattered excitedly.  Once they were gone, Chanyeol let out a heavy sigh in relief.

“Finally.”

Seung chuckled, shaking his head.  “Don’t worry, Chanyeol.  You did well.”

“Thank you,” Chanyeol said.  “I’m going out for a while.  I’m going to take Duchess for an afternoon trot.”

“I shall join you-”

“No,” Chanyeol interrupted.  “I wish to be alone.  Stay here and make sure they don’t get into trouble.”

“But sir-”

“I said no, Seung.  I’ll be fine.  I’ll....” Chanyeol sighed.  “I’ll stay on the grounds.”

Seung didn’t seem to like the idea, but, after a moment, he gave in.

“Very well.  Don’t be too long.”

“Yes, I know.”

With that, the prince walked out the front door, shutting it behind him and headed out to the stables.

 

 

\--:--

 

 

 


	5. A Wise Investment

 

**_May 8 th, 1876_ **

**_6:18 p.m._ **

 

The following two weeks passed by quickly with the new staff proving their worth, and Chanyeol felt comfortable in his decision to hire them.  The castle was very clean and often quiet with only subtle chatter here and there.  All in all, Chanyeol felt pleased with the way things were turning out.  If his parents were alive, he knew they would be proud of him.  He smiled to himself as he sat at his desk and continued writing.

 

_Dear hyung,_

_I hope matters are well-at-hand where you are.  I trust that they are, as you always were better at this royalty business than I.  Things are going well here at home, as well.  I recently hired some new staff members.  Eight, to be exact--both boys and girls.  Some of them are so young.  Practically babes, hyung.  At first, I was afraid that their age and lack of experience might get in the way of their work, but that has proven to not be the case.  They are quite dedicated, hard workers.  They keep the castle nearly spotless and are quite well behaved.  Thus, I take pride in my decision and believe that I am justified in thinking that it was a wise investment.  I hope that you will agree.  I feel that Mother and Father would be proud of me if they were here.  I do hope that you are proud of me as well, dear brother.  It has been nearly a year since you have been home, and it feels like an eternity.  I miss you, hyung.  I hope you are doing well.  And I hope to meet with you again soon.  Fair weather and safe travels._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Chanyeol_

 

Chanyeol finished signing his name and set the fountain pen his mother had given him on his 10th birthday back into its ink well.  He blew on the letter softly until the ink dried then folded it carefully and pressed his family’s seal onto the back to keep it closed.  Leaving his study, Chanyeol headed out into the parlor where he saw one of his new servants.

“Jongdae,” he summoned.

Jongdae looked up from dusting the table and quickly walked over.

“Yes, your highness?” he asked.

Chanyeol held up the letter.  “Take this.  It is a letter to my brother.  See that it is delivered.  Promptly, please.”

“Of course, sir.  Right away,” he said with a bow before taking the letter and heading out.

Chanyeol looked around, deciding what to do, now that he had the rest of the evening off.  His stomach growled loudly, so he decided to ask the cook what she was planning for dinner.  When he swung open the kitchen door, he was immediately crashed into, and he yelped as a cold splash of stale tea hit his shirt, soaking it through.  When he looked down, he saw one of the new maids carrying a large bucket of used dishes.  Her eyes stared at him in horror.

“Y-Your highness!!  I’m so sorry!  I-I’m so clumsy.  I didn’t mean—”

Chanyeol cringed, peeling the wet fabric away from his chest, holding up a hand to stop her talking.

“It’s quite alright, Sojin.  ‘Tis only a shirt.  I have plenty.  Please, do not fret.”

Sojin chewed her lip, shifting back and forth on her feet, her eyes unsure.  A young man came around the corner, and his eyes widened.

“Your highness!! Sojin, what did you do??”

“I-I didn’t mean it, Jeonghan!  I didn’t see him!  H-he came right through the door, a-and I wasn’t watching my step and-”

“It’s alright,” Chanyeol stated again, this time chuckling softly.  “There’s no harm done.  I promise.  I was thinking of taking a bath anyway.  Now, I simply have a reason to,” he smiled.

Sojin bowed in apology while Jeonghan whispered to her.

“Get back to cleaning.  Don’t just stand here and gawk at him...”

She nodded quickly and hurriedly scooted on her way.

The boy looked anxious as he spoke.  “I’m terribly sorry, your highness.  Please, there must be something I can do...”

Chanyeol looked thoughtful.  “Actually, Jeonghan, there is something.”

“Anything, sir.”

Chanyeol took off his coat before unbuttoning his shirt, taking it off, and handing it over to him.

“Wash this for me, if you will.”

Jeonghan took the shirt and bowed.  “Of course, your highness.  Anything else...?”

“No, that’ll be all.  Thank you.”

Jeonghan bowed once more and hurried off. 

“I suppose dinner shall be a surprise then,” Chanyeol chuckled to himself and slid his coat back onto his shirtless body before making his way to the parlor.

“Your highness!” Seung said, standing in the parlor, his eyes wide when he saw Chanyeol.  “Where is your shirt??”

Chanyeol couldn’t even find it in him to be bothered, and he just laughed.

“I’m off to take my nightly bath, Seung.  See you at dinner!” he replied before bounding up the stairs two at a time, leaving his bewildered advisor to stand there sputtering.

 

\--

 

Chanyeol hummed quietly to himself as he filled his large, marble tub with hot water.  Once it was full, he stripped out of his clothes, draping them over a chair.  Stepping into the tub, he slowly sank down, letting out a deep, satisfied groan as his tall body slid under the steaming water.  Sighing heavily, he laid a hot, wet rag over his eyes and leaned his head back onto the tub rim.  He loved his baths.  It was one of the few times he felt fully relaxed.

After a few minutes, Chanyeol was singing softly to himself but stopped short when he heard a soft _thump_.

“Seung, you better not be bothering me during my bath time,” he said with his eyes still covered, not bothering to move.

But no answer came.

“Seung...?” he asked.

When it was still quiet, Chanyeol pulled off the rag and sat up, looking around.  But he was alone.

“What the hell...?” he mumbled.

It was then that he heard another noise.  A soft, quick shuffle of feet.  It was barely audible, but it was there.  And it came from his attached bedroom.  Chanyeol looked back at the door behind him.  It was cracked open, and he could see partly into his room, but there was no one there.

“Hello?” he asked again.

No answer.

Chanyeol frowned.  “There better not be anyone there.  I don’t appreciate being spied upon.”

When he was met with more silence, Chanyeol leaned over and pushed on the door, swinging it shut.  He sighed softly and replaced the rag, leaning his head back again.  There was no one in sight, but Chanyeol was sure he had not been alone this evening.

 

 

\--:--

 

 

 


	6. A Good Day

 

**_June 12 th, 1876_ **

**_11:45 a.m._ **

 

“Today is going to be a good day,” Mrs. Kim stated as she opened the parlor window’s large, red drapes, letting the warm light pour in.  “Just look at that sunshine.”

“Oh my, it’s beautiful out!” Minah said cheerily.

“Mmm, it really is.  I think I’ll take to reading outside today,” Sojin added.

“Sounds like fun,” Chanyeol remarked.  “You should ask Yixing to join you.  I’m sure he’d love to write underneath the old oak trees.”

“Good idea!” she replied.  “I’ll go ask him right now.”

As time had passed, Chanyeol had become close with his new staff and was learning a lot about them.  Hyeri worked well with Duchess because she had been raised around horses her whole life, as her father worked at the local stables.  Minah, who had been shy at first, was really coming out of her shell.  Chanyeol caught her singing sometimes when she didn’t know he was there, and he was surprised to hear what a beautiful voice she had.  He learned the hard way that Jongdae and Yura were pranksters (or rather, his water-soaked trousers learned).  Their punishment was doing dishes for a week, but it didn’t last that long because Chanyeol couldn’t really stay angry at their adorable, sheepish faces.

Jeonghan, on the other hand, was more than cooperative.  When he was done working, he often helped the others with their chores, and he always had a cheerful smile on his face.  Sojin and Yixing were the quiet ones.  They spent a lot of time on their own, Yixing penning beautiful, dark poetry, and Sojin often being found curled up by the fireplace with a romance novel.

That left only one.

Chanyeol randomly checked in on the new members, but there was one person in particular who always caught his interest.  A person who stole all of Chanyeol’s attention whenever he walked into the room.  He didn’t even have to be saying anything (not that he ever did anyway), but Chanyeol was alerted just by his mere presence.  He always watched him with fascination, his gaze wandering over the other’s hands as they gracefully wiped down a table or washed a window.  He didn’t know what it was about this boy, but he knew one thing: he was enchanted.

Chanyeol always watched the boy work, enraptured by his every movement, every breath.  He often found that he stopped breathing while watching him, his movements so fluid that it seemed as if he was dancing with the air around him.  Occasionally, he actually was.  Chanyeol would sometimes find the boy swaying his hips back and forth subtly and his lips forming silent words as he cleaned, as though he were singing along to music that only he could hear.  Seeing him was like spotting a rare and glorious creature.  Untouchable, somehow.  Like a hummingbird riding on the breeze.  Delicate.  Beautiful.  Ethereal.

This particular day, Chanyeol was sitting on the parlor’s loveseat.  He was holding a letter that he had been previously reading, but now his eyes had become transfixed on the beautiful angel dusting the fireplace mantle.  Every day, Chanyeol tried to think of something to say that would trigger a spoken response from the boy, but he still had not uttered a single word since his arrival.  Chanyeol could only imagine what a beautiful and sparkling voice he must be hiding.

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol spoke.

Baekhyun’s hand stopped dusting the marble mantle, and his head turned to face the prince, a look of inquiry on his face.  Chanyeol removed his reading glasses, setting them atop his head and folded the letter back up.

“Have you ever been riding?  On horseback, I mean.”

Baekhyun shook his head and continued dusting.

“Well, I feel like taking a ride about the grounds,” Chanyeol said, unfolding his legs.  “Would you, perhaps, like to join me...?”

Baekhyun’s hand froze, his back to Chanyeol for a moment as he seemed to be surprised at the offer.

Chanyeol watched him carefully.  “You...don’t have to, if you so choose.  It’s just an idea.”

Baekhyun seemed to mull that over, and after a few moments, he turned to look at Chanyeol and nodded his head.

Chanyeol raised his eyebrows, sitting up a little, trying not to sound too eager.  “You wish to come along then...?”

Baekhyun nodded again, and Chanyeol smiled, standing up.  “Fantastic!  I shall have Hyeri bring the horses around, and I’ll ask Mrs. Han to whip us up a picnic.  Does that sound alright...?”

Baekhyun was still for a moment but then smiled a little, nodding again.

“Wonderful.  Oh...I don’t suppose you have any riding gear...”

Baekhyun shook his head.

“I guessed as much,” Chanyeol replied.  “Alright, then.  I will go change and search my closet for an extra set.  Stay here.”

Baekhyun didn’t speak, but Chanyeol took it as a yes.  He smiled politely and headed up the stairs to his room.  When he came back down, he was wearing a red and white riding outfit and carrying a blue and white one in his hands.  He approached Baekhyun who was still dusting and handed it to him.

“Here you are.  I apologize if it’s a tad too big.  I know I am well over average height,” he chuckled.  “Why don’t you see how it fits, and I’ll talk to Hyeri and Mrs. Han while you’re getting changed.”

Baekhyun bowed and took the outfit, heading off to the servant’s quarters.  Upon returning, he found Chanyeol waiting in the parlor and approached him.  Chanyeol bit back a laugh when he saw the material draping off of Baekhyun’s body.

“Oh dear.  Well, I guess I’ll be buying you a riding suit.  We’ll have to visit the tailor soon, so he can take your measurements.”

Baekhyun didn’t answer but didn’t reject the offer.

Chanyeol smiled.  “I have our lunch,” he stated, gesturing to a wicker picnic basket sitting on the floor.

Baekhyun glanced down at it then back at Chanyeol before giving him a little smile.  Chanyeol was about to speak when a female voice chimed in.

“The horses are saddled and ready, your highness!”

“Thank you, Hyeri.  We shall be right out!” He looked at Baekhyun.  “All ready?”

Baekhyun nodded.

“Alright, let’s head out then.” Chanyeol grabbed the basket and the two of them walked out the front door and onto the lawn where Hyeri and Kiseop, the stable boy, stood holding the reins of two beautiful horses.  Chanyeol smiled and approached the stunning white mare, rubbing her neck.

“There’s my girl,” he spoke to her, smiling when she whinnied.  “This is Duchess,” he said to Baekhyun.  “She was a gift from my parents when I was a young lad.  We grew up together.”

Duchess nudged Chanyeol affectionately, and he chuckled, patting her back.  “She’s my best friend.”

Baekhyun smiled to himself as he watched the two.

“Now, _this_ guy...” Chanyeol said, walking up to the black horse.  “This is Othello.  I won him in a game of cards three years ago.  Best prize I ever won.”

Othello snorted and shook his head.  Chanyeol chuckled, rubbing his back and looking at Baekhyun.

“Come here.”

Baekhyun walked over slowly, careful not to spook the horses.

“This is the horse you will be riding today.  Are you alright with that...?  He’s very well-behaved.  You don’t have to worry.  He’s never thrown a rider yet.”

Baekhyun nodded and watched Othello curiously.

Chanyeol smiled.  “You can pet him if you’d like.”

Baekhyun hesitated for a second then cautiously lifted his hand and placed his fingers tentatively on Othello’s neck.  When the horse didn’t seem bothered, Baekhyun moved his hand slightly, gently petting his silky fur.  His eyes were full of wonder as he stared at the magnificent beast, and Chanyeol found his innocence adorable.

“He likes you,” Chanyeol said softly.

Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol for reassurance to which Chanyeol nodded, and Baekhyun blushed a little before turning his attention back to Othello.  Chanyeol chuckled softly then turned to the others.

“Thank you, Hyeri, Kiseop.  You may return to your duties.  I can take it from here.”

“Yes, your highness,” they answered in unison before bowing and making their way back to the stables.

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun.  “Are you ready?”

Baekhyun looked at him in uncertainty.

“Don’t worry.  It’s not as scary as it looks.”

Chanyeol gestured to the saddle on Othello.  “Here, first, you put your foot in the stirrup.  Then, you lift yourself up and swing your other leg over.  Simple.  Here, I’ll help you.”

Baekhyun felt a little nervous, but something deep down told him that he could trust the tall, handsome prince.  That he already did.  Chanyeol held out his hand and watched as Baekhyun hesitated before slowly sliding his slender fingers into his large palm.  Baekhyun’s touch was like an electric charge that shook Chanyeol to the core.  Baekhyun seemed to feel it, too, because Chanyeol heard his sharp intake of breath.

Neither of them moved for a moment until Chanyeol cleared his throat, snapping them both out of it.  He noticed Baekhyun’s cheeks turn an adorable shade of pink, and his heart fluttered at the sight.  Before he could give it much thought, Baekhyun had hurriedly lifted himself up onto Othello and situated himself in the saddle.

“Here,” Chanyeol said when he could find the words.  “Hold onto these,” he instructed, handing Baekhyun the reins.  “Pull right to turn right and left to turn left, whip them to move forward, and pull back to stop.  Got it?”

Baekhyun nodded, taking the leather reins in his hands.

“Ok.... Good...” Chanyeol replied awkwardly before grabbing the picnic basket, walking over to Duchess, and climbing onto her back.

He slid the basket handles onto his arm and grabbed the reins.  “Follow my lead,” he stated then whipped the reins lightly, sending Duchess into a steady walk.

Baekhyun did the same and let out an adorable squeak when Othello lurched forward.  Chanyeol laughed softly as he watched Othello catch up to him and Duchess with Baekhyun gripping the saddle’s handle nervously and trying to keep his balance.

“Don’t worry, it gets easier,” Chanyeol reassured him, smiling at how endearing the smaller boy looked.

 _You were right, Mrs. Kim.  Today_ is _going to be a good day_ , he thought.

 

 

\--:--

 

 

 

 

 


	7. Avoidance

 

“How’s your sandwich?” Chanyeol asked.

They were now sitting on a red blanket, enjoying lunch while the horses wandered around grazing.   Baekhyun smiled as he took another bite and nodded.

“Good,” Chanyeol smiled, taking a bite of his own.  “Mama always was a great cook.”

Baekhyun tilted his head at the name, and Chanyeol chuckled.

“Ahh, right.  I forgot to tell you and the others.  Mama is our head cook.  You know her as Mrs. Han, but we just call her Mama around here because she acts like a mother hen and all.”

Baekhyun’s eyes showed understanding, and he took a drink of lemonade from his glass.

“So....” Chanyeol started.  “You’re never going to speak to me, are you...?”

Baekhyun stared blankly.

“Is there a reason for it...? Are you shy...?”

Baekhyun just gave a small shrug, his eyes focusing on his sandwich, and Chanyeol could tell he was feeling uncomfortable with the topic.

“Well, if that’s the case, you can relax.  There’s no need to be afraid in my home.  Especially around me.  I won’t bite,” Chanyeol replied, a soft smile on his lips as he tried to reassure him.

Baekhyun didn’t look at him, instead silently taking another bite.

“You have some crumbs on your face.  Here...” Chanyeol reached across and gently swiped his thumb over Baekhyun’s bottom lip.

Baekhyun froze and stared with wide eyes as Chanyeol seemed transfixed on his lips.  It took Chanyeol a second to realize what he was doing, and when he did, he stilled with his thumb on the other’s lip.  Both of them stopped breathing, their eyes now locked on each other.

Without thinking, Chanyeol suddenly leaned in close.  Right before his lips met their target, Baekhyun quickly turned his head to avoid it.  Chanyeol froze as his lips brushed the other’s cheek, and he quickly regained his posture.

“Baekhyun, I...I’m so sorry.  I didn’t mean... I wasn’t thinking.  I never lose my composure like that.  I deeply apologize...” he rambled clumsily, noticing that Baekhyun’s cheeks had grown a deep shade of red.

Baekhyun shook his head and stood up in a haste, walking back to Othello and climbing onto him, his eyes looking away.  Chanyeol frowned but clearly understood.

“Yes...of course,” he said, gathering the dishes and blanket back into the basket before mounting Duchess as well.

It was a long, silent ride back to the castle.

 

\--

 

Over the next few weeks, things had been uncomfortable.  Whenever Chanyeol entered a room, Baekhyun left it.  Chanyeol knew he was purposely avoiding him, and as much as he understood the reason why, he couldn’t help but feel an ache in his heart.

He missed talking to him, even if he got no response.  He missed looking into his beautiful brown eyes.  He missed the way his brow would furrow when he was confused.  The way his smile lit up a room...

After a month, Chanyeol had reached his limit.

 

\--

 

**_July 14 th, 1876_ **

**_2:45 p.m._ **

 

Baekhyun was dusting a cabinet in the long upstairs hallway when a door abruptly opened behind him.  Before he could react, a hand grabbed his arm, and he let out a squeak as he was dragged into a bedroom.

The door shut behind him, and he was suddenly enveloped in a large shadow.  When he looked up, he saw a pair of folded arms, a frown, and two gorgeous brown eyes staring down at him with annoyance.  Baekhyun was both excited and terrified as Chanyeol seemed to glare at him.  He reached behind him, fidgeting for the doorknob, but Chanyeol’s large hand pressed on the door to keep it shut.

“You’re not leaving until I get an answer,” he said sternly.

Baekhyun’s eyes went comically large.

“You know what I mean,” Chanyeol said with slight irritation.

Baekhyun chewed his lip and looked down, wringing his hands.

Chanyeol sighed.  “Why are you avoiding me?  Is it because I tried to kiss you...?”

Baekhyun’s cheeks reddened, and his hands stilled.

Chanyeol felt a flare of guilt run through him, and he rubbed his neck as his voice softened.  “I’m sorry, Baekhyun.  I didn’t mean to overstep my bounds.  It’s just... You looked so—”

When Baekhyun looked up at him curiously, he lost his nerve.

“N-nevermind,” he stuttered out.  “It’s nothing...”

Something that appeared to be disappointment flashed in Baekhyun’s eyes, but it was gone before Chanyeol could make anything of it.

“I’m truly sorry for upsetting you,” he continued.  “I hope my actions haven’t damaged our... relationship.”

There was an emotion on Baekhyun’s face that Chanyeol couldn’t quite read, and then he was looking down again.

“Are...are you still angry...?”

Baekhyun gave a small shake of his head.

“So... can you forgive me?” Chanyeol asked tentatively.

Baekhyun was still for a few moments, and Chanyeol started to get nervous.  Baekhyun looked up and gave him the tiniest smile, and Chanyeol felt a wave of relief wash over him.

“Good,” he smiled.

For a few moments, they stood there awkwardly until Chanyeol cleared his throat and stood back.

“Well, then... You are free to return to your duties.”

Baekhyun watched him for a minute and then bowed, opening the door and leaving the room.  Chanyeol closed the door behind him, slumping his forehead against it and sighing heavily.

 _Well..._ he thought. _It’s a start._

 

 

\--:--

 

 

 

 

 


	8. The Letter

 

**_July 23 rd, 1876_ **

**_5:14 p.m._ **

 

Chanyeol stood in front of his tall mirror as he glided a small comb through his silky red hair.   He was feeling both excited and nervous because today was a special day.  It was the day that his brother would come home from his long journey.  He missed his brother dearly and had been waiting for this day for a long time.  He smiled happily as he smoothed the sleeves on his golden coat.

There came a light sound, snapping him out of his thoughts.  When he looked in the mirror, he saw Baekhyun behind him.  His back was to Chanyeol, and he was dusting the dresser against the back wall of his room.  Chanyeol’s gaze momentarily dropped lower to the young man’s tight backside.  He was swaying his hips again. 

Chanyeol felt a wave of heat rush through him, and he shuddered slightly.   A pang of guilt followed, and his eyes flew back up to his reflection where he noticed that his own cheeks had turned a shade of pink.  Baekhyun didn’t seem to notice anything amiss, and Chanyeol exhaled a silent breath of relief, letting his cheeks return to their normal color before turning around.

He was going to say something, but he noticed that Baekhyun had stopped dusting.  Chanyeol stilled, wondering if he had been caught after all.  But Baekhyun didn’t turn around.  Instead, his gaze was fixated on a massive portrait that hung on the wall above him.  It centered on a young, handsome man sitting on a fancy sofa with his arm around a beautiful, young woman.  In her lap, she was holding a young boy no more than two years old, and standing beside her was an older boy around six years of age.  They looked prim and proper, clearly royalty.

Chanyeol saw that Baekhyun couldn’t take his eyes off of the picture, and he smiled a little, sitting on the edge of his bed as he watched him.

“My family,” he said softly.

Baekhyun jerked slightly in surprise, turning back to look at Chanyeol.  He bowed quickly in apology, but Chanyeol shook his head.

“It’s alright,” he replied, and Baekhyun could hear a soft tinge of sadness in his voice.

He frowned and tilted his head a little, silently asking what was wrong.  Chanyeol understood and sighed softly, looking back at the portrait.

“My parents died in a carriage accident when I was a boy.”

Baekhyun’s frown deepened, and he looked at Chanyeol sympathetically.  Chanyeol half-smiled.

“It’s alright,” he said again.  “It was a long time ago.”

Baekhyun was quiet, his eyes looking back at the portrait.  He pointed at the younger boy in the picture and looked at Chanyeol expectantly.

“Yes, that’s me,” Chanyeol answered the implied question with a soft chuckle.  “I was a rambunctious little one.  Gave my mother quite the hard time.”

Baekhyun smiled at the thought.

“That boy up there?” Chanyeol pointed to the older boy in the painting, Baekhyun’s eyes following.

“That’s my older brother, Taekwoon.  He’s the king now.  That’s why he’s not here.  He’s been gone away on business for a little over a year.  But thankfully, he’s on his way home now,” he smiled.  “I’m so eager to catch up with him.  And I can’t wait for him to meet you.”

Chanyeol blinked, backtracking.  “I-I mean for him to meet _all_ of you, of course...”

Baekhyun said nothing, his eyes trained on the painting.  After a moment, he looked at Chanyeol and smiled softly, nodding.  Chanyeol rubbed his neck awkwardly and stood up.

“Well, then... I’ll let you get back to work.  I need to go downstairs and get things ready for his return,” Chanyeol said.

“Chanyeol,” Seung’s voice called from the hall.

“I’m in here!” Chanyeol called back.  “I’ll see you later on,” he said to Baekhyun before opening the door to reply.

“What is it, Seung?” he asked, heading into the hall.

He left the door cracked, and Baekhyun half-listened to their conversation as he continued cleaning the oak dresser.  It was something about a letter that had come for the prince.  Baekhyun stopped listening, his head filling with music again as he hummed to himself.  That is, until he heard an angry shout from the hall, startling him out of his thoughts.

“Dammit!!” the prince yelled.

“What is it?” his advisor asked in concern.

Baekhyun stopped cleaning and cracked the door slightly more open, now curious about what was wrong.

“Read it,” Chanyeol said.

A ruffle of paper sounded, and Baekhyun guessed that it was the letter.  After a few moments, he heard a sigh come from the older man.

“Oh dear... I’m sorry, Chanyeol.”

“Dammit!” he shouted again.  “Dammit dammit _dammit!!_ ”

Suddenly, something heavy hit the door that Baekhyun was standing behind.  He let out a startled yelp, but it was hidden by the loud noise of shattering glass.

“Chanyeol!!” the man’s voice scolded, but the prince was having none of it this time.

“DO.  _NOT._   start with me, Seung,” Chanyeol’s voice stated firmly.

Baekhyun had never heard so much raw authority in Chanyeol’s voice.  Clearly, neither had his advisor because there was no reply.  After a heavy pause, Baekhyun heard angry footsteps head down the stairs.  Once Chanyeol was gone, Seung sighed and headed over to the bedroom door.  Baekhyun let out a small gasp and stepped back quickly when he appeared in the doorway.  The door opened, and Seung looked at him disapprovingly.

“It isn’t polite to eavesdrop.”

Baekhyun flushed red and looked down, wringing his hands nervously.

“Clean up this mess,” he snapped before slamming the door in Baekhyun’s face, making him jump.

After his footsteps faded, Baekhyun huffed and opened the door, grabbing a rag and cleaning up the shards of the broken vase.  He gasped in pain when a jagged piece sliced his palm.  Whimpering slightly, he ripped off a strip of the rag and tied it tightly around his hand to stop the bleeding.  Once it was done, he sighed and finished cleaning up the mess.

 

 

\--:--

 

 

 

 


	9. Tangled Emotions

 

**_9:48 p.m._ **

 

Chanyeol groaned, running his hands through his messy hair.  He had been drinking for the last few hours, and was about at his limit.  He didn’t care, though, and poured himself another glass of whiskey.  He downed it quickly, shuddering at the burn.

“Dammit...” he mumbled when he saw that the decanter was now empty.

“Sssstupid bottle...” he slurred, taking his coat off and unbuttoning the top few buttons of his shirt as his body felt too hot now.

He looked down at the letter on his desk and frowned.  He knew he shouldn’t be that angry.  It wasn’t Taekwoon’s fault that King George needed his assistance again.  It just...it wasn’t fair.

“Ithsssss not fair...” he grumbled, ripping up the letter and tossing it into the wastebasket before reaching into his desk and pulling out a piece of parchment paper and his ink well.

It took a few tries to dip his fountain pen, and he got a little too much on it, as shown by the splatters of ink on the paper.  Chanyeol’s hand trembled unsteadily as he attempted to write, but he was far too out of it to write legibly.

He growled when the pen’s ink ran dry and angrily threw it at the wall.

“Sssstupid pen!!”

It was then that he heard a loud banging in his skull.  He groaned, rubbing his temples, but the sound didn’t cease.  It took him a few moments to realize that it wasn’t in his head, but rather, someone was knocking on the door of his study.

“What??” he yelled in annoyance.  “G-go away, Ssseung!!”

He heard the door opening, and he growled.

“I sssaid...leave me!!”

Instead of his advisor’s crumply old face, a young, beautiful one poked inside.  Chanyeol blinked a few times, trying to focus.  His eyes widened when he saw Baekhyun looking at him.

“You!” he said, pointing his finger.  “Why...why don’t you ever talk?? Huh??  Am I not worth it??”

Baekhyun winced a little at his tone, chewing his lip shyly.  Chanyeol frowned, realizing what he said.

“...Sssorry...” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.  “Come in, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun opened the door and slid inside.

“Clossse it,” Chanyeol demanded.

Baekhyun nodded and gently closed the door behind him.  In his hand, he was carrying a mug.

“Whasss that?” Chanyeol slurred, pointing to it.

Baekhyun approached the large oak desk and carefully placed the mug in front of the prince.  Chanyeol leaned down, sniffing the drink’s aroma.

“Tea...?” he inquired, looking at the mug.  “You...you made me tea...?”

Baekhyun nodded softly.  Chanyeol looked at him, then back at the mug, quiet for a moment as he processed things.  He gently lifted it and took a small sip, watching Baekhyun.

“Thank you,” he said a little more seriously.

Baekhyun bowed and started to leave the room, but Chanyeol spoke again.

“Wait.”

Baekhyun stilled with his hand on the doorknob, looking back at him questioningly.

“Ssstay.  Sit...” Chanyeol said, gesturing to the leather chair in front of the desk.

Baekhyun hesitated for a moment.

“Don’t worry.  I told you, I won’t bite,” Chanyeol said.

Baekhyun decided that he trusted Chanyeol’s words and took a gentle seat on the chair.  His eyes floated down to the feather pen on the floor, and he frowned.  Reaching down, he grabbed it and placed it back on Chanyeol’s desk.

Chanyeol was quiet, watching Baekhyun over the rim of his mug as he drank the hot, soothing liquid.  Baekhyun stayed quiet as well, his eyes fixed on Chanyeol’s large hands.  There was something so graceful about them.  Baekhyun’s imagination started to wander when a voice suddenly cut through the silence.

“What happened to your hand...?”

Baekhyun blinked, looking at Chanyeol whose gaze was locked on the rag strip tied around his hand, the cloth now stained red.  Baekhyun shook his head and lowered his hand to his lap, hiding it under his other one.  Chanyeol frowned, setting his mug down on the desk.

“Let me see it,” he said, his voice deeper than usual, sending a chill down Baekhyun’s spine.

He slowly lifted his arm up, and a shiver ran through him as Chanyeol’s hand enveloped his smaller one.  Chanyeol carefully unwrapped the makeshift bandage and frowned at the cut that ran across Baekhyun’s palm.

“What did this...?”

Baekhyun thought for a moment, his eyes looking over at a large vase on a nearby shelf.  Chanyeol followed his gaze.

“A vase...?” he asked confusedly.

It took a moment, but then it dawned on him.

“Oh god... Seung made you clean up my mess, didn’t he?”

Baekhyun looked down, and Chanyeol frowned.  “That bastard.  I swear, if my parents hadn’t hired him, I would have gotten rid of him years ago.”

He sighed, looking at Baekhyun.  “I’m sorry.  Let me clean you up...”

He stood up unsteadily and walked over to a cabinet, searching for something.  When he returned, he was holding a small, leather box.  Sitting back down, he set it on the desk and opened it.  He reached in and pulled out a roll of gauze and some bandages and set them aside.

“This is my kit for emergencies.”

Chanyeol took a bottle of antiseptic oil and a rag, carefully wetting it.

“This is going to sting...”

Baekhyun hissed when the rag touched his skin and jerked slightly.

“I know, I’m so sorry...” Chanyeol said.

His heart ached at the little, pained whimpers Baekhyun let out as he cleaned the wound.

“There.  Worst part’s over,” he said, setting the bottle aside.

Baekhyun sighed in relief, whining slightly when Chanyeol placed a bandage over the cut.  He watched as he started wrapping the gauze around his hand, his eyes spellbound by the deft gracefulness in Chanyeol’s long fingers.  The way he was being so tender and gentle with him sent a wave of tangled emotions through Baekhyun’s heart, and he closed his eyes, trying to think of other things.

“Good as new,” Chanyeol said softly, releasing Baekhyun’s hand.  “That should hold up well for a few days.  The cut isn’t too deep, but it will most likely leave a scar.  Really, I am truly, truly sorry about that.  I will most definitely have a talk with Seung about the way he treated you,” he said, gathering the items and putting them back in the box before getting up and placing it back inside the cabinet.  “He should know better than to boss around my staff.  He’s been getting out of hand lately.  Someone needs to remind him that he’s not in charge around here.  _I_ am.  _I_ am the prince, and this is _my_ home.  If he doesn’t get his act together, I’m going to let him go.  I don’t care how long he’s worked for my family.  I will not tolerate this kind of behavior.  Especially when it causes you... a-and the rest of my staff... to get hurt.”

Baekhyun stayed silent, rubbing his bandaged palm gently as he listened to the taller man.  Chanyeol looked back at him and sighed, shaking his head.

“I’m sorry.  I know I’m rambling.  I’m afraid I’ve had a bit too much to drink,” he said, carefully sitting back in his chair, wobbling a bit.

He groaned, rubbing his eyes.  When he opened them, Baekhyun was watching him curiously.

“I suppose you heard my commotion upstairs...”

Baekhyun bit his lip and nodded slightly.

Chanyeol sighed.  “I apologize for my outburst.  I received a letter from my brother.  Something came up.  He said he won’t be able to come home for at least another six months.”

Baekhyun frowned when he saw the sadness in Chanyeol’s eyes.  Without thinking, he reached his good hand out and took a hold of Chanyeol’s, giving it a light, sympathetic squeeze.  Chanyeol instinctively squeezed back before blinking in drunken surprise.

“Baekhyun...” he said with a slight inquiry in his voice.

Baekhyun’s eyes widened.  He tried to pull his hand back, but Chanyeol suddenly gripped it.  Baekhyun’s heartbeat sped up a little, and he looked at Chanyeol in wonder.

The tall, red-haired prince stayed silent, watching him with an expression that Baekhyun couldn’t read as he gently rubbed his thumb over the back of his knuckles.  Baekhyun swallowed hard at the suggestive contact and sucked in a soft, sharp breath when Chanyeol let go.

Chanyeol cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure as he straightened his posture and rolled up his sleeves.

“Thank you again for the tea.  I appreciate the kindness,” he said.

Baekhyun sat there staring at him for a few seconds before blinking.  He nodded a little, still in a daze.

“You may retire your duties for the night.  It’s getting late.  You should get some rest.”

Baekhyun stood up and bowed awkwardly, quickly leaving the study and shutting the door behind him.  Leaning against the heavy wood with his heart pounding, he tried to process what just happened.

 

 

\--:--

 

 

 

 


	10. Becoming A Man

 

**_August 15 th, 1876_ **

**_4:08 p.m._ **

 

Chanyeol finished strapping on his boots and headed downstairs on a mission to find his advisor.  Spotting one of his maids in the hall, he approached her and smiled kindly.

“Minah, dear.  Did you happen to see my advisor around?”

Minah smiled and nodded.  “Yes, your highness!  He’s in the kitchen, I believe.”

Chanyeol bowed.  “Thank you, my dear.”

Minah bowed in reply.  “Of course!”

Chanyeol smiled and headed down the hall to the kitchen.  This time upon opening the door, he was careful not to crash into an unsuspecting person.  Seeing that the coast was clear, he walked into the main area where he saw Sojin and Jeonghan washing dishes and Mrs. Han talking to Seung.

“Well, that just won’t do!” she huffed.

Seung sighed.  “What should you have me do about it, Mrs. Han?”

“What’s wrong?” Chanyeol asked, and the two stopped to look at him.

“We’re low on food, dear.  We got nothin’ around here except rice and eggs!  No meat!  I can’t serve a proper dinner without meat, now can I?” she replied, shooting a look at Seung.

“We don’t have enough funds to go to the market right now, Mrs. Han,” Seung replied, earning an annoyed look from the cook.  “You’ll just have to make do with what you have until—”

“Don’t worry, Mama.  I can take the boat out.  I’ll catch us some fish for dinner,” Chanyeol interrupted.

“Chanyeol, you will do no such thing,” said Seung.  “It is not proper for—”

“Do not tell me what is proper, Seung.  I know how to man a small boat.  I think I can handle such a small task as catching a fish,” Chanyeol replied sarcastically.

“Would you, dear?” Mrs. Han asked.  “I would be most grateful.”

“Of course, Mama,” Chanyeol smiled.  “You know I would love to help.”

Mrs. Han smiled and pinched his cheek playfully.  “That’s why you’re my favorite.”

Chanyeol chuckled and kissed her cheek.  “I’ll be back in a little while.  Why don’t you make some rice in the meantime?  It will go well with some trout.”

Mrs. Han nodded, her mood now lifted.  “Indeed, it will.  Thank you, love.”

Chanyeol smiled, and then turned a stern face to Seung.  “Now, do you have a problem with that?”

Seung looked like he was going to speak but bit his tongue and let out a small _humph_.  “At least let me join you.  I do not like you going out on the water alone.”

Chanyeol shook his head.  “That will not be necessary.”

“But—”

“You will not join me, Seung.  That is final,” Chanyeol stated.  “However, I do understand the need for safety, so I _will_ take someone with me.”

“Who?” Seung replied flatly.

At that moment, the door opened, and in walked Baekhyun carrying a bucket to fill with soap and water.  Chanyeol smiled brightly.

“Baekhyun,” he told Seung confidently.

At his name, Baekhyun stilled, his eyes flying over to meet Chanyeol who was looking at his advisor.

Seung sputtered.  “B-But that’s absurd!  He’s only a servant.  He surely knows nothing of manning a boat.  And even if he did, he doesn’t speak!  What good will he be?”

“That’s none of your concern, Seung.  It’s my choice.”

“No, Chanyeol.  I forbid it.”

Chanyeol’s fingers gripped his own coat lapel a little too tightly.

“You... _what_?” he asked with an air of royalty.

He took a step toward Seung, towering over him by at least a foot.  His eyes were narrowed and filled with subtle anger, daring Seung to defy him.  Seung’s hands balled into fists, but he bit back a reply. 

Instead, he huffed and stormed out of the kitchen but not before shooting a glare at Baekhyun who visibly winced from it.  He slammed the heavy swinging door behind him, and his footsteps faded away along with the sound of him grumbling under his breath.

For a few moments, the kitchen was silent.  Chanyeol finally relaxed his stance and looked around, noticing that everyone was staring at him.

“What...?” he frowned.  “He’s mean.”

Mrs. Han smirked.  “That he is.  And you are not a young boy anymore, my dear.”

Chanyeol looked lost.  “What do you mean...?”

“I mean two years ago, you would’ve cowered under his stare, and look at you now.  You’ve finally become a man.”

Chanyeol blushed.  “Mama...”

Mrs. Han chuckled and swatted his arm lightly with a dry rag, clucking her tongue.  “I raised you right.  Now, go.  Get me something to cook.”

“Yes, Mama,” he replied, bowing a little and giving her another peck on the cheek before heading over to the door.

He saw Baekhyun standing there with wide eyes, fidgeting a little nervously.

“What’s wrong...?” Chanyeol asked.

Baekhyun blinked and slowly shook his head.

“Well, come on then.  You’re coming with me.”

Baekhyun looked confused and also a bit shy.  Then, he remembered why he came into the kitchen in the first place and looked down at his bucket, looking back at Chanyeol questioningly.

“Don’t worry about your chores.  You’re going to help me with something else tonight.”

Baekhyun hesitated for a moment but then set his bucket down and followed the prince out of the kitchen.  Before the door shut, he swore he heard a few knowing chuckles from inside.

 

 

\--:--

 

 

 

 


	11. More

 

**_5:45 p.m._ **

 

Chanyeol finished securing the anchor and stood up, straightening his back and groaning at the slight _pop_.

“Mmm,” he sighed, closing his eyes and inhaling a deep breath of fresh sea breeze. “Lovely.”

He opened his eyes and looked around for his shipmate, smiling to himself when he saw him in the same spot he’d been in since they left the coast: leaning against the railing and staring out at the water.

 _He’s so adorable_ , Chanyeol thought.  _So... innocent_.

He watched the younger male with admiration, memorizing his every feature.  Baekhyun’s eyes were closed, and he was smiling softly to himself as the wind swept his soft, raven-colored hair back and forth.  His long, slender fingers were wrapped around the railing to hold himself upright as the boat rocked gently on the waves, and he seemed to be lost in his own world. 

Just as Chanyeol was whenever he watched him.  He was fascinated by this glorious being.  To Chanyeol, it was truly like seeing an angel that had come down to Earth to grace him with his presence.

But what Chanyeol felt wasn’t exactly angelic.  Watching Baekhyun did things to him... It stirred emotions in him that he hadn’t realized were even there.  And his thoughts...

Chanyeol’s gaze dropped a little lower, and he felt his pulse jump.  The boy was doing things to him that he’d never felt before.  Just seeing him made his heart race.  It made him forget his thoughts completely.

Baekhyun made him... weak.

Not that Chanyeol minded.  In fact, Chanyeol couldn’t get enough of the feeling.  He craved it like a child craves sweets.  Like a man craves a woman.

Chanyeol blinked at his last thought.  He always knew that he liked Baekhyun, but there was something else.  Something more.  He wanted _more_.

Suddenly, a throat cleared, snapping Chanyeol out of his revelations.  When he focused, he saw that Baekhyun was staring at him with curious eyes.  Chanyeol felt a rush of heat blast through him, partly due to embarrassment and partly due to...something else.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.  “Umm...I-I was just....” he said, fumbling for words.  “... Anchor’s down.”

Baekhyun was silent as always and nodded, looking back at the ocean.  Chanyeol cleared his own throat in a poor attempt to stop his mind from venturing down certain paths and grabbed a large net that was on the deck.

“Help me with this?” he asked.

Baekhyun looked back and walked over to him, waiting for a command.  With his help, Chanyeol was able to rig the netting up to some hooks and lower it into the water.

“Alright.  Now... we wait.”

Baekhyun raised his eyebrow, looking confused but he stayed quiet and went back to his spot at the railing.

\--

2 hours later, Chanyeol dumped the net onto the deck, smiling proudly at the good amount of fish flopping on the wood, their bodies entangled in the ropes.

“Great!  Mama will be so happy!” he beamed.

His voice stirred Baekhyun who had fallen asleep on the floor, and he walked over to see what had happened, yawning cutely behind his hand.  When his eyes fell upon the scene, they widened in horror, and he let out a shriek.

Chanyeol laughed.  “What, you’ve never gone fishing before?” He chuckled, shaking his head.  “It’s alright, I’ll handle them.  You just get the chest ready.  Once they’re dead, we’ll need to put them on ice.”

Baekhyun looked even more horrified and he fell to his knees, throwing his body over the fish.

“Baekhyun, what on earth...?”

Baekhyun whipped his head around, glaring daggers at Chanyeol who stepped back in shock.  He had never looked at him with such blatant hatred before, and Chanyeol didn’t know what in the world he had done to deserve it.

“Baekhyun, what... what’s wrong?  What did I do...?” he asked with concern, frowning deeply.

Baekhyun turned back to the fish whose flopping was starting to slow as they gasped for air.  He sat on his heels and gathered some of them into his lap, and Chanyeol was startled to see tears falling down his cheeks.

“Baekhyun...” he said carefully, crouching down to his level and looking at him in confusion.  “What’s wrong...?”

Baekhyun sniffed and looked at him with the most heartbreaking eyes, and Chanyeol felt like a full-grown bull had just rammed him in the chest.  Hearing Baekhyun’s soft whimpers as he watched the dying fish in his arms was the worst sound Chanyeol had ever heard, and he never wanted to hear it again.

Suddenly, it dawned on him.  “You...you don’t want to see them hurt...”

Baekhyun looked at him through his tears, and Chanyeol had to physically hold himself back from kissing them away.  Noticing that the fish were close to death, Chanyeol wracked his brain for options.

“Umm...a-alright... I’m sure I can come up with some money for Mrs. Han to buy something at the market.  Here, let’s help them...”

He took the fish carefully from Baekhyun’s arms and put them back in the net.  Hoisting it quickly, he lowered it back into the water and released one side so that it opened.  Baekhyun stood up and leaned over the edge, watching as all the fish swam freely back into the water.

Chanyeol saw the tension melt from Baekhyun’s body, and he felt a powerful wave of guilt rush through him, though he wasn’t even sure why.  It was just some fish, right...?  But if Baekhyun was that upset, then something was definitely wrong.  And he never wanted to see that look on his face again.  The look that said Chanyeol had betrayed him.

Baekhyun turned around, sniffling softly and wiping his eyes.  He slowly looked up at Chanyeol who was rubbing his arm awkwardly.

“Baekhyun, I... I’m sorry.  Whatever I did, I’m… I’m _so_ sorry—”

Suddenly, Baekhyun ran to him and practically threw his small body at him, enveloping him in a tight hug.  Chanyeol gasped, startled at the action, but when Baekhyun whimpered, he felt himself wrap his arms around the younger man and hug him tightly back.  Something felt so right about having him in his arms.  It felt so natural.

“Shhh... It’s ok...” he said softly, holding Baekhyun close.  “I didn’t mean to upset you.  I had no idea that it meant so much to you.”

Baekhyun didn’t reply, instead just hugged him tighter.  Chanyeol rubbed his back for a minute before eventually pulling back, cupping Baekhyun’s cheeks in his palms and looking at him desolately.

“Do you hate me...?” he asked, hoping that he was wrong.

Baekhyun sniffed, his sad, wet, puppy eyes looking back at him as he shook his head.  Suddenly, the combination of the soft trembling of his lips and the way he was looking at Chanyeol so vulnerably became too much for the prince, and he leaned in, catching Baekhyun’s soft gasp as he pressed his lips against the younger’s.

Baekhyun hesitated for a moment, but then his body started to respond.  The mix of misery, fear, joy, sorrow, and everything he was feeling for Chanyeol swept through him like a whirlwind, and his hands reached up on their own accord and gripped the prince’s soft, red hair as he kissed back passionately.

Chanyeol groaned when he felt the other give in to him, and he lifted him up, wrapping his legs around his waist.  Baekhyun moaned, winding his arms around Chanyeol’s neck and kissed him with everything he had.  Chanyeol gripped his ass and squeezed slightly, using the moment when Baekhyun gasped to slip his tongue into his mouth.

Baekhyun groaned and sucked on his tongue, pressing his smaller body against the other’s urgently.  His instincts had begun to take over, and it was nothing he’d ever felt before.  Chanyeol seemed to intuitively know what the other needed, and he carefully laid him down on the wooden floor.  He leaned down, attacking the other’s neck with warm kisses and small nibbles, and Baekhyun mewled sexily.

The noises he was making were turning Chanyeol on more than he’d ever been before.  Quickly undoing Baekhyun’s shirt buttons, he opened it and leaned down, latching onto his small, pink nipple.  Baekhyun whined and arched his back, running his fingers through the other’s hair.  Chanyeol pressed sweet kisses all over his abs and chest, and a flutter of affection floated through him when he felt the younger’s heartbeat wildly thudding against his lips.

His hands swiftly undid the ties of Baekhyun’s trousers, and he started to pull them down when he felt the other’s sharp intake of breath.  When he looked up, he saw Baekhyun looking down at him with eyes that were both exhilarated and unsure.

Chanyeol smiled reassuringly, pressing a sweet kiss to his hipbone. “Don’t be afraid, love.  I’ll take good care of you.”

His voice seemed to calm Baekhyun’s nerves, and he nodded a little, smiling cutely and biting his lip.  Chanyeol smiled and leaned down, pressing more kisses into his abs.

“That’s it, baby,” he whispered against his skin, and he felt Baekhyun shiver underneath him as he freed him from his trousers.

Chanyeol wrapped his lips around the tip of Baekhyun’s cock, ripping a startled gasp from the younger man.  Chanyeol chuckled and stroked him slowly with one hand while sucking his tip.  Baekhyun groaned loudly, gripping Chanyeol’s hair.  He let out a long, slow whine when Chanyeol pressed his head down, taking his whole length down his throat.  He choked on a cry when he felt Chanyeol swallow around his tip.  He’d never felt anything like this before.  His senses were on fire.  Everything seemed brighter...clearer...

His thoughts went out the window when Chanyeol started bobbing his head, and he felt like he was going to explode.  He whimpered and tugged on Chanyeol’s hair, his chest rising and falling rapidly as the sensations overwhelmed him.  He felt something inside him, a force of nature pressing him toward an invisible edge.

He gasped and frantically pulled Chanyeol’s hair to get his attention.  Chanyeol lifted off of him, stroking him quickly with his hand while he watched him.

“What’s wrong, kitten?”

Baekhyun looked down at him with a worried look, and Chanyeol chuckled.

“It’s alright, love.  Let it happen.”

He leaned up and whispered on Baekhyun’s lips.  “Fall, baby.  I’ll catch you...”

Giving him a deep kiss, he leaned down and took his tip into his mouth again, sucking hard while his hand jerked him hard and fast.  The motion was too much for Baekhyun, and his back bowed.  Letting out a loud cry, his toes curled and his eyes rolled as he came hard, his body jumping underneath Chanyeol’s ministrations.

Once the sensation had subsided, Baekhyun collapsed against the deck, panting heavily, his chest heaving with every breath.  Chanyeol moaned and lifted his head, watching Baekhyun as he pulled the younger’s trousers back up and secured them.  Baekhyun’s face turned bright red, and Chanyeol laughed softly, leaning down to press a kiss to his nose.

“You’re so adorable.”

Baekhyun looked so shy in that moment, so innocent.  Chanyeol smiled softly, leaning on his elbow beside him, his hand stroking Baekhyun’s bangs softly.  Baekhyun laid there, breathing heavily and watching him with lidded, dilated eyes.

After his heartbeat returned to normal, he scooted closer to Chanyeol, pressing his body against his for warmth.  Feeling something hard between them, he pulled back and looked at Chanyeol’s pants.  His cheeks flushed red again as he realized what it was, and he looked up at Chanyeol for answers.

Chanyeol smiled softly, shaking his head.  “Another time.”

With that, he leaned down and sealed his lips against Baekhyun’s.  This time, the kiss was much more tender than the previous ones.  There was an emotion behind it... a message that Baekhyun couldn’t quite read.  But he liked it.  He liked it a lot.

 

 

\--:--

 

 

 

 


	12. You

 

**_August 25 th, 1876_ **

**_6:45 p.m._ **

 

Baekhyun sighed in content as he poured the hot water over his hair, feeling it run down his naked back.  He loved his baths.  It was the only time he could truly be himself.  Humming to himself as he scrubbed his body, his mind drifted to thoughts of ten days ago, and his cheeks turned pink.

He still couldn’t believe that had happened.  Chanyeol had also opened up since that day.  Every day, he would find some way to corner Baekhyun away from the others and give him kisses, some sweet, some passionate.  Baekhyun couldn’t get enough.  Every day, he woke up looking forward to the next one.

He smiled at the memory, rinsing his arms with more water.  After he got dried off, he was going to find Chanyeol and get another kiss out of him.  More determined now, he quickly dumped water on his head again to get the soap out.

Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door.

“Your highness...?  Are you in there?”

Mrs. Kim.

Baekhyun frowned, not sure what to do.  He figured the woman would give up and leave when she didn’t get an answer, but he was wrong.  His eyes widened in fear when the door clicked and swung open.

 

\--

“Your highness, you’re not listening to me,” Seung huffed in annoyance at the younger man sitting at the desk.

“I am listening, Seung.  You’re telling me that we’re running low on funds.  You know that my brother will fix things when he returns,” Chanyeol replied over the paper he was filling out.

“Yes, whenever that is,” Seung quipped sarcastically.

Chanyeol looked up from his work with an angry stare.  “Seung, you should really watch your—”

He was cut off by one of the loudest, most terrified female screams he’d ever heard.  Both Seung’s and Chanyeol’s eyes widened in fear, and Chanyeol jumped up from his desk.

“What in the world??” Seung grumbled and turned on his heels.

He headed quickly upstairs to the source of the scream with the prince right behind him.  When they got to Chanyeol’s bedroom door, he frowned.

“What the...?”

Mrs. Kim was standing in his bedroom, her face pale as her whole body shook.  Around her, the young staff was all gathering, wondering what the commotion was.

Seung frowned.  “What in God’s name is wrong with you, woman??” he said, walking over to where she was standing.

When he looked inside the bathing room, he stilled.  “What in hell...?”

Chanyeol frowned, wanting to see, but he was having a hard time making his way through the herd of young staff members.

“What, what is it?” he called.  “Seung, what do you see??”

Suddenly, Seung looked extremely angry, and he disappeared into the bathing room.  Chanyeol heard a rustling noise, some splashing, and Seung’s grunting, to which he assumed he was fighting something.

“What the hell...?” he said more to himself than anyone else.

Following a small thump, he heard a pained whimper.  Only one person he knew made that sound, and Chanyeol’s blood ran cold.

“Baekhyun!” he yelled.

Pushing his way through the crowd, he finally reached the doorway, and his body froze. The sight before him wasn’t something he could easily describe to someone without sounding like an absolute madman.  He wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he got there, but it sure as hell wasn’t the young man that he had come to grow quite fond of laying on the floor soaking wet and sporting a... tail.

That’s right.

A _tail_.

Chanyeol stood there dumbfounded.  “What....”

Baekhyun gasped when he saw Chanyeol staring at him with confusion.  He was currently in the process of fighting off the older advisor who was attempting to get a hold of him.

Seung growled angrily.  “Get over here, you hell creature!!”

Baekhyun tried to dodge, but in the end, he couldn’t run away.  His tail was preventing him from standing, and Seung finally grabbed a hold of his hair and yanked him, making him cry out in pain.

At the sound, Chanyeol finally snapped out of his trance.

“Seung... Baekhyun, what...” he stated dumbly.

Seung pulled Baekhyun’s hair, forcing him to lay on his stomach as he dragged him.

“You hell demon!  I knew there was something wrong with you!!  Now, I can get rid of you once and for all and send you back to hell where you belong!!” Seung shouted, pulling a sharp dagger from his lapel.

Baekhyun gasped, trying in vain to wriggle away.  The young staff members cried out in fear.

“Seung, no!!” Jeonghan yelled.  “What the hell are you doing??”

“What I should have done a long time ago,” Seung said viciously, raising the dagger toward Baekhyun’s throat.

Chanyeol felt glued to the floor.  He saw what was happening, but he couldn’t seem to will his body to move.  This was it.  He was going to watch his lover die right in front of him, and he was too in shock to stop it.  That was when a voice snapped him out of it.

The voice of an angel.

“ _Channie_...” Baekhyun whimpered, looking at him with terrified eyes.  “ _Help me_...”

Chanyeol noticed that Baekhyun’s eyes were now a magnificent blue.  A sparkling blue.

A familiar blue.

Chanyeol’s body felt like a truck had hit him, and he sucked in a sharp gasp.

“ _SEUNG MIN, YOU GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HIM AT ONCE!!_ ” he shouted.

Seung jumped, startled by his tone but then growled in return.  “No, Chanyeol.  I’m sending this demon back to hell where he belongs!!”

Chanyeol saw red.  Literally.

Blood was seeping down Baekhyun’s throat as the dagger started to drag against his skin.  He cried out in pain, and Chanyeol lost all composure.  Without thinking, he reached into his coat.

There was a deafening _bang_ , followed by the clinking sound of the dagger hitting the floor.

The advisor’s body toppled over, now lifeless, the gaping hole in his forehead gushing with fresh blood.

The staff had gone silent in shock, and there was a female voice in the hall.

“What on earth was that sound??” Mrs. Han said worriedly, rushing in.  “Chanyeol!!” she cried out when she saw him.

Chanyeol was standing there with his arm outstretched, the gun still smoking in his trembling hand.  Mrs. Han gasped when she saw Seung’s dead body on the floor lying next to Baekhyun’s half-human form.

“Oh my god...” she said before looking at Chanyeol.

Chanyeol seemed to be in shock again, and Mrs. Han reached up carefully, slowly taking the gun away.  Chanyeol let her do it without a fight, his arm dropping to his side.

“He...he was gonna kill him... He was gonna kill Baek...” he stated, almost in a confused tone.

Mrs. Han frowned and looked at Baekhyun who was whimpering and holding his throat.

“Oh god...” she said as she saw blood on his fingers.

She ran over to Baekhyun and kneeled beside him.  “Let me see, sweetie.  It’s alright...”

She gently removed his hand, checking the wound before sighing heavily in relief.  “It’s ok.  It’s not deep.  You’ll be alright, honey.  Let me get you patched up.”

Baekhyun sniffed and nodded, letting Mrs. Han scoop him up in her arms.  He wrapped his arm around her neck, hiding his face as she carried him through the parting crowd of stunned faces.

“Well, don’t just stand there, children.  Get me some wet rags and hot water.  This poor boy needs help.  Jeonghan, get me some sutures and bandages.”

Jeonghan snapped out of it, nodding.  “Yes, of course, Mama,” he answered, running off to retrieve the emergency kit.

When Mrs. Han walked past Chanyeol, Baekhyun kept his face hidden from him, and Chanyeol choked on a breath.

“B-Baekhyun...” he said, trying to wrap his mind around things.  “I... I-I...”

“Come, Chanyeol,” Mrs. Han said.  “We’re going to the kitchen where I can get him fixed up.  I need you there.”

Chanyeol blinked.  “B-But I—”

“Now, Chanyeol,” she stated firmly, and Chanyeol was too in shock to do anything but dumbly nod and trail after her.

Once they reached the kitchen, Mrs. Han set Baekhyun gently down on the island, careful of his tail as she stood in front of him.  She lifted his chin, and he whimpered slightly at the movement.

“I’m sorry, dear.  I know it hurts...”

Baekhyun sniffled softly, his blue eyes wet with scared tears.  Chanyeol stood beside them awkwardly at a loss for words.  Jeonghan joined up with them, handing a box to Mrs. Han.

“Here, Mama.”

“Thank you, dear.”

Sojin, Yura, and Jongdae walked in, carrying rags and a bucket of hot water and setting them on the island.  They stared at Baekhyun who closed his eyes, fresh tears of humiliation falling down his cheeks.

“Thank you, children.  Now, leave.  He doesn’t need spectators right now.”

Jeonghan and the others bowed and left the kitchen, pushing the other spying staff members away from the doorway before shutting the door behind them.

Mrs. Han sighed, wetting a rag with warm water before dabbing it gently against Baekhyun’s neck.  He hissed softly at the contact, but kept his eyes shut.

“I’m sorry about that, honey.  They don’t know any better.  They’ve never seen someone as beautiful as you before.”

Baekhyun opened his eyes a little, blushing slightly in embarrassment before speaking softly.  “They think...I’m freak.”

“No, they don’t, honey.  They’re just not used to you.  Give them time.  They’ll come around.”

“Not fast as you,” he said softly.

Chanyeol stood there watching the exchange.  It took him a minute to realize what was happening, and his eyes widened.

“You...you talked.”

Baekhyun looked at him then back at the cook.  Chanyeol frowned, looking at Mrs. Han.

“Wait...” he said, piecing it together.  “Mama, you knew about this??”

Mrs. Han sighed again, taking an antiseptic bottle from the box and wetting a rag with the liquid.  “Yes, I knew, Chanyeol.  Honestly, I’m really surprised that it took you so long.”

Chanyeol looked lost.  “What...?”

Mrs. Han held up the rag.  “This is going to sting, sweetheart.”

Baekhyun nodded.  When the rag touched his neck, he cried out slightly and gripped the edge of the island tightly.

“I know, sweetie.  I’m sorry...”

Chanyeol watched Baekhyun, his heart flashing with an ache at the pain he was going through.  Instinctively, he wanted to wrap his arms around him and kiss his pain away, but he felt frozen.

“Chanyeol...” Baekhyun said softly.  “I’m... I’m sorry.”

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun’s blue eyes, mentally kicking himself for not realizing it sooner.  His heart practically stopped, his eyes widening.

“You...it...it was _you_.  Last year...in the water....”

Baekhyun looked away, swallowing hard.  That was enough of an answer for Chanyeol.  His eyes dropped down to stare confoundedly at Baekhyun’s long, blue tail, and his vision blurred a little.

“I...I need to lay down,” Chanyeol said, feeling himself start to sway a little.  “I think I’m gonna...”

Suddenly, his legs gave out from beneath him, and he collapsed against Mrs. Han who caught his limp body.

“Chanyeol!” Baekhyun cried worriedly.

“It’s alright, dear,” Mrs. Han said, gently laying the tall body on the floor.  “He just fainted.  He’ll be fine.”

Baekhyun frowned, his eyes on Chanyeol as Mrs. Han stood up and grabbed a suturing needle, threading it.

“Is he mad at me...?” he asked tentatively.

Mrs. Han smiled sadly.  “No, dear.  He’s just overwhelmed by everything that’s happened tonight.  Let him rest for a bit.  He’ll be better later.  I promise.”

Baekhyun bit his lip, his eyes still on the prince’s peaceful face.

“I didn’t mean to scare him...”

“Of course not, dear.  He’s just gonna need some time to adjust.  He’ll come around.”

Baekhyun was silent for a minute before speaking quietly.  “I love him.”

Mrs. Han smiled softly.  “I know, honey.”

 

 

\--:--

 

 

 

 


	13. The Truth

 

**_8:15 p.m._ **

 

Chanyeol lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.  His thoughts were so rampant and tangled, and he had no idea how to go about detangling them.

A soft knock pulled him from his reverie.  “Come in,” he said.

The door opened, and Mrs. Han walked inside, shutting the door behind her.  Chanyeol looked at her before returning his gaze to the ceiling.

“Hi, Mama,” he said quietly.

Mrs. Han walked over and sat on the edge of the bed beside him.  She reached over and took his hand, caressing it.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

Chanyeol had too many answers.  “Confused. Angry. Scared. Upset. Relieved. Take your pick.”

Mrs. Han rubbed his knuckles softly, letting him speak.

He frowned.  “Why didn’t he tell me?”

“Would _you_ have told?”

Chanyeol went quiet, thinking about that.  After a minute, he sighed.  “I guess not.”

“Mmm...” she hummed.

“But he told _you_ ,” he sulked.

“He didn’t tell me.  I went for a walk one night when I couldn’t sleep, and I found him swimming in the ocean.  At first, he was worried, but I told him that I would keep his secret.  I knew that he would tell you when he was ready.”

He seemed to mull that over.  “Oh...”

Chanyeol lay there for a good few minutes before finally looking at the older woman and speaking almost inaudibly.

“Is he...?”

Mrs. Han smiled softly.  “He’s fine, honey.  I patched him up well.  He just needs rest.”

Chanyeol sighed softly in relief and nodded.

“As do you,” she added.

“But...” Chanyeol frowned.  “What about...Seung...”

“I took care of it.”

Chanyeol felt a prick of tears in the back of his eyes as he whispered.  “Thank you.  I’m sorry...”

Mrs. Han shook her head.  “Don’t be.  You were protecting him.”

Chanyeol sniffed before looking away.  “I need sleep.”

Mrs. Han nodded.  “Yes, you do.  It’s been a long day for both of you.  Now, get some rest.”

She stood up and leaned down, pressing a motherly kiss to his forehead before speaking softly.  “Go to him in the morning.”

Chanyeol looked at her and whispered.  “I will.”

She smiled gently and squeezed his hand.  “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

He half-smiled, watching her stand up.  “Goodnight, Mama.”

Mrs. Han left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.  Chanyeol sighed softly and turned onto his side, exhaustion catching up to him as he almost immediately fell into a deep sleep.

 

\--

 

When Chanyeol woke up, the first thing he noticed was that his room was dark.  He yawned and stretched his back before squinting at the clock.

3:30.

 _Must be a.m._ , he thought with a sigh.  _Great.  Another endless night._

Knowing that he wasn’t going to get anymore sleep, Chanyeol threw the sheets aside and sat up, hanging his legs over the side of the bed.  He noticed that he was still fully dressed, and he frowned when he remembered why.

The events of the previous night filled his head, and he felt a sharp throbbing.  Chanyeol groaned, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples.

Seung…

…

_Shit._

……….

Baekhyun.

Chanyeol’s eyes flew open.  He sat there staring at the wall, trying to make sense of what had happened.

 _Baekhyun_.

Baekhyun was the boy on the beach last year.  The face that had haunted his dreams.

 _Baekhyun had saved his life_.

Baekhyun was a....

...a mermaid.

Mer _man_.

Baekhyun was a merman.  He lived underwater.  He had a-

......

-a tail.

Chanyeol blinked a few times as he rolled the words through his brain.

A merman.

They exist??

And he talked.

He _talked_.

Chanyeol’s head hurt at the avalanche of new information.  It was all too much.

Wasn’t it?

Chanyeol wasn’t sure.  In fact, he wasn’t sure about a lot of things anymore.  But somehow, he had always felt, deep down, that Baekhyun was...different.  To be perfectly honest with himself, he was more surprised by the fact that Baekhyun had actually _spoken_.  But none of it changed the fact that Chanyeol loved him.

Chanyeol stilled.

Love?

 _Yes_ , he realized.  _I love him_.

Chanyeol’s heart raced as he finally admitted the truth to himself.  He stood up and headed quickly for the door.  He wanted to go to him, to tell him that he was sorry.  That he was worried about him.  That it didn’t matter _what_ he was, and that he could be a _dragon_ for all he cared because...

...because Chanyeol was truly, madly, deeply, ridiculously, head-over-heels in love with him.

Chanyeol stepped into the hall, and that was when he remembered what time it was.  Shit.

Baekhyun was probably asleep.  Normally, he would have thrown caution to the wind and woken him anyway, but after what happened last night...

Chanyeol’s heart ached when the vision of tears falling from those beautiful blue orbs filled his mind.  His stomach churned when he remembered the blood...and the fear...

Chanyeol shuddered and pushed the thoughts from his mind.  His instincts were screaming at him to go to Baekhyun.  He wanted to hold him, to comfort him, to tell him that he was safe because Chanyeol was going to protect him now.  He wanted to tell him that everything was going to be okay.

But Baekhyun was hurt, and he needed his rest.  Chanyeol took a deep breath and used all of his willpower to push his own urges down, settling for the fact that he would go to him first thing in the morning.

With that thought, Chanyeol relaxed his stance and headed back to his room where he took his coat off and hung it back up.  He was feeling hot, so he took off his shirt and traded his trousers for a more comfortable pair of black, cotton pajama pants.

He was thinking of going for a walk, but then he heard his stomach rumble.  He remembered that he hadn’t eaten since the previous morning, and he was suddenly feeling ravenous.  Since sleep was off the table, he figured he might as well make good use of his time and make himself a snack.

He decided to forego his slippers, and since it was too early for anyone else to be up, he didn’t care enough to fix his messy hair.  Chanyeol padded quietly on his bare feet down the stairs and to the kitchen.  He opened the swinging door, trying to make his way around in the dark.  His eyes hadn’t quite adjusted yet, and he let out a small grunt when he bumped into the counter.

Upon reaching the icebox, he pulled out some cooked ham and a block of cheese.  Grabbing a loaf of bread, he set the ingredients on the counter and grabbed a knife from a drawer.  Humming to himself while he sliced a piece of bread, he jumped when he heard a noise behind him.  He whipped around, brandishing the knife in his hand as he squinted into the dark.

“Who’s there?”

There was no reply, but Chanyeol heard another noise.

“I can hear you!” he called out.  “Reveal yourself.”

Still no reply.  But Chanyeol’s eyes had started to adjust, and he gasped when he made out the shadow of a person sitting on the kitchen island in front of him.

“Yah, I can see you!  Who are you?  And why aren’t you answering me...?”

Then it dawned on him.

“Baekhyun...?” he asked gently.

The shadow jerked a little, and Chanyeol knew he had his answer.  He set the knife down and noticed a candle nearby, so he grabbed a match from the drawer and lit it.  When he raised the candle, the younger man’s face was illuminated, confirming Chanyeol’s suspicions.

“Baekhyun, what are you doing down here...? You should be resting.”

Baekhyun’s eyes were shut, and he hesitated before finally speaking.  “Can’t sleep.”

“Oh... Me either.” Chanyeol took a step forward, and his heart ached when the other pulled back a little.

“Baekhyun... open your eyes,” he said quietly.

Baekhyun didn’t move.  “No.”

Chanyeol frowned.  He held a finger up to the underside of Baekhyun’s chin and lifted his face, making the other gasp softly.

“Baek...” he whispered.  “Open them.”

The shorter male sniffed, and Chanyeol could see tear stains on his cheeks.  He knew the other had been crying, and that realization punched him in the gut.

“I-I can’t...” Baekhyun whimpered.  “You...be scared.”

Chanyeol felt a wave of guilt rush through him, and he cupped Baekhyun’s cheek softly.  “No, baby.  I won’t be scared.  I promise.”

Baekhyun was quiet for a long pause, and Chanyeol could feel his soft, shaky breath against his wrist.  When he finally peeled his eyelids open slowly, Chanyeol gasped softly at the two sparkling gems staring back at him nervously.

“They’re...they’re still blue.  But...but you’re not...” he stated dumbly, looking down at Baekhyun’s human legs.

“I know,” Baekhyun frowned.

“But...I don’t understand.  I thought they were only blue when...when you were...”

Baekhyun sighed.  “They were.  But last night...they...they change.  Never happen before.  Not...when human.”

“Oh...” Chanyeol answered intelligently.

It was then that he finally noticed that Baekhyun was talking in stilted Korean.

“Why didn’t you talk to me...?” he asked.  “I was starting to think you were mute.”

Baekhyun chewed his lip, looking away.  “Embarrassing...”

“What is...?”

Baekhyun was quiet as he tried to think of the words.  “Can’t...don’t speak...Korean...good.  Still learning.”

Chanyeol blinked.  “Wait... That’s it?  You didn’t talk because you don’t speak fluent Korean...?”

Baekhyun nodded.

“Awww, Baek.  Why didn’t you just tell me?  I wouldn’t have cared.”

Baekhyun frowned and shook his head.  “I...I didn’t want...speak to you...until...I sound...better... and... not sound stupid.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Chanyeol said, cupping Baekhyun’s cheek and turning his face to look at him again.  “I don’t think you sound stupid.  I think you sound wonderful.  You have no idea how good it feels to finally hear your voice.  It sounds glorious...”

Baekhyun had a sad look in his eyes and then closed them again, whispering.  “Don’t look.  Please.”

Chanyeol frowned, stroking his cheek softly.  “Why not...?”

Baekhyun shook his head, keeping his eyes shut.  “... Strange.”

Chanyeol’s heart was hurting so badly at the thought that his love was insecure about himself.

“No, they’re not,” he whispered back.  “They’re beautiful.”

He felt Baekhyun’s cheek turn warm under his palm, and he leaned in, pressing his lips tenderly against the other’s.  Baekhyun gasped quietly but didn’t move.  Chanyeol wrapped his hand around the back of Baekhyun’s head, pulling him closer as he deepened the kiss. 

Baekhyun whimpered softly, melting underneath him.  He kissed him back deeply, sliding his hands up Chanyeol’s bare chest, feeling the hot skin under his palms.  Chanyeol moaned softly, gently pulling away and leaning his forehead against Baekhyun’s.  The younger male was breathing heavily on his lips, and he seemed to shake under him.

“Baby...” Chanyeol whispered on his lips.

Baekhyun whimpered softly, his eyes still closed as he pressed back against Chanyeol’s forehead, rasping desperately.

“Chanyeol...”

A ripple of heat shot down Chanyeol’s spine at the tone of his voice, and he pulled him close against his body.  Baekhyun’s arms wrapped around his waist instinctively, and he rested his face against Chanyeol’s warm chest.  Chanyeol held him close, and he could feel the other’s heart thudding under his touch.

“D-don’t....” Baekhyun whimpered against his chest.  “Don’t go...”

Chanyeol held him tighter and shook his head.  “I’m not going anywhere, baby.  I’m right here.”

Baekhyun held onto the taller man and sniffed softly.  “Channie.”

“Mmm...?”

Baekhyun hesitated before speaking softly.  “Can we... I… I want... I-I want…”

Chanyeol was quiet, but he somehow knew exactly what the other was asking.

“Are you sure...?” he asked tentatively.

Baekhyun nodded against his chest, and Chanyeol kissed his temple.

“Come on, love,” he said sweetly and scooped Baekhyun up, cradling him in his arms.

Baekhyun sighed in content and wrapped his arms around Chanyeol’s neck, his heart pounding in both nervousness and anticipation as his prince carried him upstairs.

 

 

\--:--

 

 

 

 


	14. My Love

 

Chanyeol walked into his bedroom, still cradling the shorter male in his arms as he pressed the door shut with his foot and locked it behind him.  Baekhyun was silent as he carried him over to his large bed and set him down on the red, satin sheets.  Baekhyun sat on the edge of the bed with his legs hanging over, watching Chanyeol with his glowing eyes. In them Chanyeol saw slight nervousness, and he got down on his knees in front of him.

“We don’t have to do this, Baek.  Not right now...” he said, stroking the other’s hands soothingly.  “I won’t pressure you.  I don’t want you to do anything until you’re ready.”

Baekhyun gave a half-smile and shook his head slightly.  “I am ready,” he said softly.  “I’ve been ready...for...long time.”

Chanyeol smiled a little.  “Really...?”

Baekhyun nodded.

“Me, too,” Chanyeol said, and Baekhyun raised his eyebrows.

“You have...?”

“God yes,” the prince stated, cupping Baekhyun’s cheek.  “Baby, I’ve wanted you for so long.”

Baekhyun bit his lip, leaning into the other’s touch while looking at him.  He took a deep, calming breath and whispered.

“Chanyeol...”

“Yes, my love?”

Baekhyun was quiet for a minute before whispering again.  “Take me.”

Chanyeol groaned softly at his words, and a new flare of heat rushed through his body.

He leaned up, whispering on Baekhyun’s lips.  “I would be honored to.”

With that, he pressed his lips to the Baekhyun’s soft, supple ones, and the other responded immediately this time.  Chanyeol slipped his tongue into his mouth, and Baekhyun moaned, massaging it with his own.  Chanyeol reached down and gripped the hem of Baekhyun’s shirt and slowly lifted it, breaking the kiss.

He chuckled when Baekhyun whined at the loss of contact.  “Sorry, baby.”

Baekhyun hurriedly raised his arms so that Chanyeol could take his shirt off.  Once Chanyeol had cast it aside, Baekhyun grabbed his hair and pulled him in close, kissing him with a more desperate need.  Chanyeol groaned at his urgency and kissed him back passionately.

Baekhyun’s hands ran up and down Chanyeol’s bare chest, feeling his every muscle before dropping to the hem of his pants.  His fingers blindly searched for the tie, struggling with it.  He whined in Chanyeol’s mouth, and the taller laughed softly.

“Easy there, kitten.  Here, I’ll get it.”

He reached down, quickly untying his pants.  Baekhyun impatiently shoved them down to his thighs, and Chanyeol gasped when he felt smooth, warm fingers wrap around his cock.

“Fuck...” he rasped as Baekhyun started stroking him.

His fingers were moving a little too quickly, and Chanyeol grabbed his wrist, choking out.  “B-Baekhyun, s-stop...stop!”

Baekhyun stilled, his eyes wide as he immediately released him.  “D-Did I...bad?” he frowned, looking worried.

Chanyeol let out a strained laugh, shaking his head.

“No, baby.  You did good.  _Too_ good.”

Baekhyun looked confused.  “Then...why stop?”

“Because I don’t want it to be over so soon...” Chanyeol said with a blush creeping onto his cheeks.

It took Baekhyun a moment to understand, but when he did, his cheeks also turned pink.  “Oh...o-ok.  I’m sorry.”

Chanyeol smirked, pecking his lips.  “Don’t be sorry, love.  Just take your pants off.”

Baekhyun blushed even more and slowly undid his own pants, sliding them down and kicking them away.  Chanyeol lifted him carefully and gently laid him on his back on the bed, his head on a satin, red pillow.  He kicked his own pants off and crawled onto the bed, looking down at the naked beauty laying there staring up at him.

“You are so beautiful,” Chanyeol whispered reverently.

Baekhyun bit his lip, looking at him with shy innocence.  His shiny black hair was disheveled from Chanyeol’s touches, his lips plump from his kisses.  He looked wrecked.  Gloriously wrecked.  Chanyeol had never witnessed a more ethereal being.  And he was all his.

He leaned down, pressing soft kisses into Baekhyun’s chest, whispering against his skin.  “So beautiful...”

Baekhyun slid his hand into Chanyeol’s tousled, red hair, sighing in content as the other continued to kiss his way all over his body.  Chanyeol sat back on his heels and lifted Baekhyun’s leg.  Slowly, he kissed from his hipbone all the way to his toes, worshiping every little inch of skin.  Baekhyun’s eyes glazed with tears, feeling more beautiful than he’d ever felt in his whole life.

Chanyeol smiled down at him in understanding before repeating the motion with his other leg, kissing his way back up.  When he reached his other hipbone, he started to kiss down the inside of his thighs.  Baekhyun tensed a little when he got closer and let out a sharp gasp when Chanyeol’s hot tongue laved a stripe up the underside from his balls to his tip.

“Ohhhh....” he moaned, gripping Chanyeol’s hair tightly.

Chanyeol pressed a soft kiss to his shaft.  “Baby, look at me.  I want you to watch me.”

Baekhyun blushed and looked down at his lover, groaning as Chanyeol gripped his cock and swirled his tongue around the tip slowly.  Baekhyun mewled, letting go of Chanyeol’s hair to grip the sheets instead.  Chanyeol wrapped his lips around him and slowly pushed down, taking his whole length into his throat.

Baekhyun gasped and thrust up reflexively, making Chanyeol gag a little.  When he pressed Baekhyun’s hips down, the shorter man gave him a sheepish look.

“S-Sorry...” he mumbled.

Chanyeol smirked and winked at him before he started to bob his head in a slow rhythm.  Baekhyun moaned deeply as he watched the incredibly sexy sight.  Chanyeol kept a smooth, steady pace going, but it was a little too slow for Baekhyun’s liking.  After a few minutes, he whined a little.

“Channieee....”

“Hmmm?” Chanyeol hummed, making Baekhyun shiver.

“I n-need... mmf... _faster_...”

Chanyeol smirked, picking up speed.  Experimentally, he sucked harder, and Baekhyun gasped loudly.

“Ahhhaaah...Channie...” he whimpered.

Chanyeol kept bobbing his head, moving a little faster and sucking a little harder as he went.  With every increase in tempo, Baekhyun’s knuckles turned a little whiter as they gripped the sheets.

“C-Channie...I... I-I’m...oh god... _Channie!!_ ” he whimpered.

Chanyeol lifted off of him, jerking his cock quickly with his fist, his other hand coming up to massage his balls.

“Do it, baby.  Cum for me...” he rasped, nipping Baekhyun’s thigh before taking his tip back into his mouth and sucking hard.

“FUCK!” Baekhyun cried out, grabbing a pillow and covering his mouth.

He gave a muffled scream into the fabric as his stomach tightened and he came hard into the other’s mouth.  Chanyeol moaned and kept sucking, milking his lover of all he had.  Baekhyun shook and gasped, his hands throwing the pillow aside and reaching blindly for Chanyeol.

“C-Channie, stop!! Stop!!  T-Too much!”

Chanyeol swallowed and pulled off of him with a lewd _pop_ , licking his lips.  Baekhyun laid there panting heavily as Chanyeol crawled up over him with a smirk.

“You taste amazing,” he said, chuckling when Baekhyun whined in embarrassment and covered his face with his hands.

“Don’t be embarrassed, love,” Chanyeol said, pulling Baekhyun’s hands away from his face.  “You were wonderful.”

He leaned down and kissed Baekhyun deeply, and the smaller moaned and kissed him back.

“T-Thank you...for that...” Baekhyun said shyly, and Chanyeol eyes twinkled.

“Anytime,” he grinned, reaching down to run his thumb over Baekhyun’s nipple.

Baekhyun practically purred, and Chanyeol had never felt so much affection for one human being.  Well...half-human.

Baekhyun shifted his legs, and Chanyeol gasped slightly.

Baekhyun frowned.  “What’s wrong...?”

Chanyeol chuckled softly.  “Nothing.  I’m just...sensitive.”

He brushed against Baekhyun’s leg, and the smaller male felt something hard and heavy against his leg.  His cheeks turned bright red when he realized what it was.

“You...you haven’t...”

Chanyeol smiled a little, shaking his head.  “No, I haven’t.”

Baekhyun bit his lip, looking thoughtful.

“What are you thinking, beautiful?” Chanyeol asked, brushing his bangs aside.

Baekhyun suddenly gave him a smirk and sat up, pushing Chanyeol to lay on his back.  The prince looked surprised but shifted so that they had switched places.

“What are you doing...?” he asked as he looked up at Baekhyun.

Baekhyun smiled, leaning down and kissing him softly.  “I... make you...feel good.”

Chanyeol took in a sharp breath when he felt Baekhyun’s hand grip his cock and start stroking it.

“Oh god...” he groaned, wetting his dry lips.  “Easy, Baek... I don’t think I’m going to last very long tonight, and I don’t want to end in your hand.  If that’s ok with you, that is...” he said, looking at Baekhyun unsurely.

Baekhyun smirked, whispering on his lips.  “Who said...my hand?”

With that, he straddled Chanyeol’s hips, pulling a moan from the taller as he thrust against him.  He started to rock against Chanyeol’s cock, but the older male gripped his hips, stopping him.

“S-Stop...wait....” he choked out.

Baekhyun frowned.  “What’s wrong...? You don’t...want me?”

“What?” Chanyeol made a small, incredulous laugh.  “Of _course_ , I want you, baby.  But we can’t yet.  We need a lubricant.  And I haven’t prepared you...”

“Oh...” Baekhyun replied then smirked.  “Well... you don’t need... prepare me, Chanyeol.”

“What do you mean?”

Baekhyun leaned down, tugging Chanyeol’s bottom lip with his teeth before whispering.  “I did.”

Chanyeol groaned, looking back at him.  “You did...?”

“Mmhmm~” Baekhyun said with an amused tone.

“But...how? When?”

“Hour ago, I wake up.  I touch myself.”

Chanyeol’s eyes darkened with lust, his cock becoming impossibly hard.

“You...you stretched yourself...?”

“Mmm...” Baekhyun answered, a twinkle in his eyes as he slowly grinded his hips.

Leaning down, he whispered hotly in Chanyeol’s ear.  “I think of you when I cum...”

Chanyeol’s hands gripped his hips tighter, and Baekhyun let out a soft whimper.

“Fuck...” Chanyeol choked.

Baekhyun whined and thrust against him again before whining in his ear and tugging his earlobe.  “Channie...fuck me... _please_...”

Chanyeol didn’t need to be told twice.  “The lubricant...in the bedside drawer...hurry...”

Baekhyun reached over to the drawer and grabbed the bottle.  He then handed it to Chanyeol who wasted no time pouring some of the gel into his palm and stroking his cock, wetting it liberally.  Setting the bottle aside, he wiped his hand on the sheets and then grabbed Baekhyun’s hips.

“Are you ready, love?” he asked, and Baekhyun nodded eagerly.

“Alright,” he said.  “Lift up for me, baby.”

Baekhyun raised up a little, and Chanyeol gripped his cock, aiming it upwards.

“Ok.  Easy, baby.  I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Baekhyun bit his lip and hesitated.  “It’s...big.  Going to fit...?”

Chanyeol let out a breathy laugh.  “Yes, love.  It’ll fit.  Just take it slow.”

Baekhyun paused for a moment longer then slowly slid down, taking Chanyeol inside of him.  He let out tiny whimpers and gasps as his body stretched to accommodate his lover, and Chanyeol groaned deeply as he slid into his tight heat.

“Fuckkkk....” he rasped when Baekhyun carefully seated himself all the way down on his thighs.

Baekhyun's eyes were closed, and he whimpered a little, leaning forward to grip onto Chanyeol’s arms.

“Are you okay, baby...?” Chanyeol asked, concerned, his hands massaging Baekhyun’s hips comfortingly.

Baekhyun didn’t move for a minute but then slowly nodded.  “S-so big...”

Chanyeol reached up and gripped Baekhyun’s cock, stroking it slowly to take his mind off the pain.  Baekhyun groaned as his cock came back to life, hardening quickly in his lover’s hand.

“Ohhhh...” he moaned softly, his eyes slowly opening again to look down at Chanyeol.

His pupils were now dilated with lust, and his breath was ragged.

Chanyeol reached his other hand up to Baekhyun’s cheek, stroking it sweetly.  Baekhyun panted softly and cupped Chanyeol’s hand, pressing a tender kiss into it.

“You feel...so good, Channie,” he whispered.

“So do you, baby,” Chanyeol replied, running his thumb over the other’s bottom lip.  “Take your time, okay?  Go whenever you’re ready.  We’ll move at your pace.”

Baekhyun smiled gently.  “Thank you, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol smiled back.  “You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

After a few minutes of Chanyeol’s languid stroking, Baekhyun’s body started to adjust.  The pain eventually faded and was replaced by a powerful lust.  Baekhyun experimentally rocked his hips, and Chanyeol groaned.

“Are you ready, baby?” he asked, and Baekhyun nodded.

“Yes...please...”

“Okay, love.  You do the moving, alright?  We’ll go as fast as you want.  You’re in control.”

Baekhyun smiled in appreciation and leaned down, pressing a sweet kiss against Chanyeol’s lips as he started to move.  Rocking his body slowly at first, he rested his hands on Chanyeol’s which were holding his hips.

“You feel amazing, baby,” Chanyeol rasped, and Baekhyun smiled.

“You too,” he answered as he raised his hips up and down.

For the next ten minutes, all that could be heard were sighs and moans as the two lovers made passionate love in the night.

When Chanyeol felt his stomach growing tighter, he groaned and squeezed Baekhyun’s hips.  “Babe...I’m close...”

“Me too,” Baekhyun panted, rocking his hips faster.

Chanyeol moaned as the younger male started slamming his hips down.

“Shit!” he gasped.

Baekhyun whimpered when he dug his nails into his hips.

“I’m gonna cum, Baek...” Chanyeol choked out.

Baekhyun whined and bounced harder and faster, leaning to rasp on the other’s lips.  “Cum, Chanyeol.  I want to feel...inside me...”

Chanyeol groaned and grabbed the back of Baekhyun’s hair, yanking his face against his own and kissing him hard.  Feeling that the other was also on the edge, he gripped his cock and stroked it rapidly.  At the same time, he thrust his hips up hard, catching Baekhyun’s cries in his mouth as the smaller man came undone in his arms.

Baekhyun’s hips jerked as he came onto Chanyeol’s stomach, whining into the kiss as he grabbed Chanyeol’s arms for leverage.  When he clenched down on Chanyeol’s cock, it was just enough to push the taller over the edge.  Chanyeol moaned loudly against Baekhyun’s lips as he came hard inside of him.

Baekhyun whimpered, rocking his hips until they were both finished.  His arms then gave out, and he collapsed onto Chanyeol, panting heavily.  Chanyeol’s chest heaved under him, both of their hearts racing as they attempted to catch their breath.

“Shit...” Chanyeol rasped.  “That was...incredible...”

“Mmm...” Baekhyun agreed, too exhausted to speak.

Chanyeol chuckled breathlessly, running his fingers through Baekhyun’s damp hair.

“You were amazing,” he said, kissing Baekhyun’s temple.

Baekhyun smiled tiredly, running his thumb over Chanyeol’s collarbone.

“You too,” he breathed out, pressing a kiss against the other’s neck.

After that, they laid there for a while without speaking, their bodies still intertwined.

Finally, Chanyeol spoke softly.  “I’ve been thinking about you.  About everything...”

Baekhyun stayed quiet, so Chanyeol continued.  “It all makes sense now... Why you were there that night in the sea... Why you would never leave the water...”

He went quiet after that, and after a few moments, Baekhyun replied quietly.  “Channie...?  Do you...think... I am freak?”

Chanyeol stroked his hair soothingly.  “No, love.  I don’t think that at all.  I think you’re amazing.”

Baekhyun lifted his head to look at him. “Really?”

“Really,” Chanyeol smiled softly, pecking his lips.  “I never thanked you, by the way.”

“For what...?”

Chanyeol brushed Baekhyun’s bangs aside, looking at him seriously.  “You saved my life.”

Baekhyun was quiet for a moment before he smiled sadly and whispered, “How could I let you die?”

Chanyeol kissed him tenderly, and Baekhyun sighed, kissing back.  He gently pulled back, looking at Chanyeol and biting his lip.

“Channie...?”

“Yes, baby?”

“Will you... teach me?” Baekhyun asked shyly.

“Korean...?”

Baekhyun nodded, and Chanyeol smiled tenderly.  “Of course.”

He tapped Baekhyun’s nose with a finger, and the younger smiled cutely before yawning like a puppy and laying his head back down on the other’s chest.  He didn’t say anything else after that, and after a little while, Chanyeol rubbed his neck softly.

“Sweetheart...?” Chanyeol whispered.  “Are you still awake...?”

“Barely,” came a sleepy reply, and Chanyeol smiled, kissing his head softly.

“Sleep, baby.”

“Mm’kay.”

Barely a few moments passed before Chanyeol heard Baekhyun’s steady breathing, and he smiled softly, pulling the sheets over them.

“Sweet dreams, my love,” he whispered before closing his eyes and nodding off.

With Baekhyun in his arms, Chanyeol slept better than he had in years.

 

 

 

\--:--

 

 

 

 

 


	15. My Everything

 

When Baekhyun cracked open his eyes, he saw sunlight pouring in through the window.  It took him a minute to realize where he was, and he smiled when he felt the satin sheets under his back.  He yawned and stretched his arms before turning onto his side, intending to snuggle up next to a tall, warm body.  But all he felt was the sheets.

Baekhyun opened his eyes and saw that he was alone in the large bed.  Thinking that the other must have gone to the bathroom, he sat up, holding the sheet around his chest.

“Chanyeol?” he said, but no answer came from the bathing room.

Baekhyun frowned, looking around.  The birds were chirping outside, and he looked over at the clock.

11:10.

He slept for seven hours?  It was no wonder.  Chanyeol had worn him out last night.  Baekhyun blushed at the thought, a smile creeping onto his face as he remembered the sweet way that Chanyeol treated him.  He was perfect.  Not that Baekhyun had any other experience in that department, but it didn’t matter to him.  He didn’t have to sleep with anyone else to know that Chanyeol was an amazing lover.

But why had he left him alone...?  Baekhyun chewed his lip, and he couldn’t help but feel a slight tinge of worry.  Did he not want to see him?  Did he have regrets?

Baekhyun immediately pushed those thoughts away.  They were too painful to even think about, so he wasn’t going to waste time on them until he knew the truth.  He figured Chanyeol was downstairs, so he decided that he should get dressed and go find him.  Maybe he could get some answers.

Baekhyun started to get out of bed when he noticed something red sticking out of the sheets.  He pulled them aside and gasped softly in surprise when he saw a red rose and a letter laying on Chanyeol’s pillow.

He picked up the rose, smelling it and smiling to himself as he read the letter.

 

_My love,_

_I hope that you slept well.  I apologize that you awoke without me there.  You are most likely wondering where I have gone.  I do hope that you’re not worried or wondering if I have any regrets.  I have none.  You were amazing, love. I am sorry that I had to leave.  I had some bothersome business affairs to attend to.  I was going to wake you up to say goodbye, but you looked so peaceful that I hadn’t the heart to.  But do not worry.  It is 8:45 as I am writing this, so hopefully by the time you awake, I will be back home.  After you finish reading this, I want you to take a nice, hot bath.  I left you one of my robes, so put that on when you’re finished and come downstairs.  I asked Mama to make you brunch.  Hopefully, I shall be there to join you.  I cannot wait to kiss you again._

_Love,_

_your clumsy, goofy giant_

 

Baekhyun chuckled softly, kissing the letter before folding it and placing it on the bedside table.  Taking another whiff of the rose, he sighed happily and set it aside before getting out of bed and heading into the bathing room.

When he emerged from the tub forty minutes later, he dried off and put on the fluffy, light blue robe that Chanyeol had left on the hook.  He tied it shut and ran his hands through his damp hair, combing it with his fingers until he decided that it was good enough.  Slipping on a pair of Chanyeol’s slippers, Baekhyun giggled when they were way too big for his little feet.

Smelling the rose one last time, he left the room and made his way downstairs to the parlor.  When he got there, he saw the other staff members walking around doing their chores.  He stilled when they stared at him, and he remembered how they had seen him last night.

Some of the members looked at him blatantly while others pretended they were working, but Baekhyun could still feel their stares.  His instincts were telling him to run and hide, but a voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Yah!  Stop staring at him like he’s some kind of animal and get back to work!  The poor boy’s been through enough.  He doesn’t need any of you gawking at him and making him feel worse.”

Mrs. Han glared at the staff members who had the decency to look ashamed as they bowed and mumbled apologies before going back to their chores.  The cook walked up to Baekhyun and put her arm around him, and Baekhyun relaxed a little.

“Don’t worry about them, dear.  They’re just curious little ones.  They mean no harm.”

Baekhyun nodded a little, and Mrs. Han smiled.

“Come, let’s get you to the dining room.  Your meal is ready.  Are you hungry?”

Baekhyun hadn’t thought about food in a while, but at the mention of it, his stomach growled loudly, and Mrs. Han chuckled.

“That’s what I figured.  Come on, dearie.  Let’s get some food in that little belly of yours.”

Baekhyun smiled a little and followed her to the dining room.  Mrs. Han led him to the long, elegant dining table where a few plates were set with silver domes covering them.  She pulled out the chair, and Baekhyun sat down, bowing to her.

“Thank you, Mama.”

She smiled.  “You’re welcome, sweetie.”

She removed the domes, and Baekhyun’s mouth watered at the delicious spread that lay in front of him—ham, scrambled eggs, sausage, buttered bread, and a large glass of milk.

“Eat up, dear.  Don’t let it get cold.”

Baekhyun nodded and dug in, eating hungrily.  Mrs. Han smiled and ruffled his hair lovingly before leaving the dining room and shutting the door behind her.  Baekhyun ate quickly, every bite like heaven to his taste buds.  When he was finished, he drank the rest of his milk and set the cup down, sighing in content.

“If I had known you were that hungry, I would have fed you hours ago.”

Baekhyun jumped at the familiar voice behind him, and he spun around in his chair excitedly.

“Channie!!” he said happily, bounding out of his seat and running over to his lover.

Chanyeol laughed heartily and scooped him up in a tight hug, twirling him around before setting him back down.

“I take it you missed me?” he teased.

“So much,” Baekhyun answered, leaning up and kissing him deeply.

Chanyeol smiled, kissing him back.  “Mmm...good morning to you too, love.”

Baekhyun wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him deeper.  Chanyeol moaned and gently pulled away, chuckling at the other’s pout.

“Slow down, baby.  Or I might just have to bend you over this table and have my way with you.”

Baekhyun smirked and slid his hand down to grab Chanyeol through his pants.  “ _What stop you?_ ”

Chanyeol gasped.  “Why, you little...”

He pulled Baekhyun’s hand away, and the other squealed with laughter as he tickled him. Chuckling, Chanyeol grabbed Baekhyun’s wrists and pinned them behind the shorter man’s back, pulling him against his chest.

“My little vixen,” he said, nipping Baekhyun’s lip playfully.  “As much as I would  _love_ to do that, there’s something I want to talk to you about first.”

Baekhyun’s stance deflated, and he puffed his lip out cutely.  “Now?”

Chanyeol chuckled and pecked his nose.  “Yes.  Now, sit down.”

He released the younger male’s arms, and Baekhyun sighed, grumbling to himself as he sat back down in his chair.  Chanyeol shook his head with a smile as he took a seat in the chair beside him.

“Are you still hungry...?  I can get you more.”

Baekhyun shook his head.  “No, I’m good. Thank you.”

Chanyeol nodded, watching him.  “Did you sleep well?”

Baekhyun nodded.

“Good.  Did you get my letter?”

Baekhyun nodded again, smiling at him.  “Thank you...for rose.  Smells nice.”

Chanyeol smiled back.  “You’re welcome.  I’m glad you liked it.  How was your bath?”

“Good,” Baekhyun answered.  “Where... where you went?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about...”

Baekhyun looked at him, confused.  “What do you mean...?”

Chanyeol was quiet for a minute, playing with his fingers before speaking.  “Baekhyun, why are your eyes still blue?”

Baekhyun blinked, clearly not expecting that question.  “I... I don’t know.”

“Well... I went to the library and did some research... about your people.”

Baekhyun raised his eyebrows.  “You did?  Like...what?”

“Many things... One of which said that a mermaid or merman’s eyes stayed their natural color in human form if they had strong emotions about something.”

Baekhyun went silent, looking down at the table and picking at it with his thumbnail.

“Baekhyun...”

He didn’t reply.

“Baek.”

Baekhyun stayed quiet, his eyes trained on the table.

Chanyeol frowned.  “Baek...is something wrong?”

Baekhyun looked up at him, now seeing that there was a layer of fear in Chanyeol’s eyes.

“What...? No...” he replied.  “No, is... is good.”

“Then...what are you feeling? What’s got you so tense that your eyes are staying blue?  Did I do something wrong?  Are you angry with me...?”

Baekhyun stared at the prince for a long pause before suddenly laughing softly at the other man’s obliviousness.

“What’s so funny...?” Chanyeol frowned.

Baekhyun bit his lip, getting up from his chair and straddling Chanyeol’s lap.  He placed his hands on his chest, and his heart warmed when the taller man wrapped his arms around his waist.

“You are,” Baekhyun said.

Chanyeol furrowed his brow.  “What...?”

Baekhyun reached up, stroking the other’s cheek softly.  “Chanyeol... I’m not  _mad_.”

“Then what is it...?” he asked curiously.

Baekhyun smiled tenderly before pecking his lips.  “I  _love_  you,” he whispered.

Chanyeol blinked in shock, and Baekhyun’s smile faded as he started to wonder if he shouldn’t have confessed so soon.

“Is... is bad?” Baekhyun asked, a hint of worry in his tone.

“What? No!” Chanyeol shook his head quickly before smiling.  “No, it’s not bad, baby.  I’m just surprised...”

Baekhyun chewed his lip, searching Chanyeol’s eyes.  “I do love you, Chanyeol.”

“Really?”

Baekhyun nodded, kissing him again.  Chanyeol kissed back and sighed happily against his lips before speaking softly.

“Good.  Because I love you, too.”

Baekhyun pulled back, staring at him in surprise.  “You do?”

Chanyeol smiled and pecked his lips.  “I do.”

Baekhyun’s eyes started to tear up, and he sniffed.  “Channie...”

He leaned in and kissed him deeply.  Chanyeol held him closer, kissing him back with unbridled passion.  Baekhyun whimpered softly, and when he pulled back, there were tears sliding down his cheeks.  Chanyeol ran his thumb over them and smiled gently.

“So beautiful...”

Baekhyun smiled through his teary eyes and laughed softly.

“I love you,” he said again.

Chanyeol grinned.  “I love you, too.”

“I love saying this,” Baekhyun said, and Chanyeol laughed.

Baekhyun leaned against him, laying his head on his shoulder as Chanyeol rubbed his back.  After a few minutes, Chanyeol spoke again.

“I want to tell you something, love.”

“Yes?”

“Look at me.”

Baekhyun lifted his head and sat back, looking at his lover with adoring eyes.  Chanyeol was quiet for a minute, his hands massaging Baekhyun’s hips as he thought of how to start.

“Baekhyun, I...  You’re so special to me.  I always felt it, ever since the day we met in the parlor.  Actually, no... since the very first time we met.  When you saved me.  I dreamt of you for so long.  Eventually, I stopped because I thought you weren’t real... that you were too good to be true.  And you  _are_  too good to be true.  I love you so much, Baek.  You’re my everything, and I don’t want to lose you.”

Baekhyun smiled softly.  “You won’t, Channie.  I stay.  I promise.”

Chanyeol bit his lip.  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

Baekhyun tilted his head a little like a puppy.  “What do you mean?”

Chanyeol took a deep, steadying breath.  “What I mean is... I don’t want to lose you, Baekhyun.  Ever.  You’re too important to me.  You’re my whole world.”

Baekhyun nodded.  “You are, too.  For me.  My everything.”

Chanyeol was quiet as he searched Baekhyun’s eyes for a moment.  “Baekhyunnie, I... I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone.  I don’t need several years to know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you.  I knew it from the first moment I laid eyes on you.  You stole my heart.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened a little when he realized where this was going.  “Chanyeol, I... I...”

Chanyeol reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, delicate golden ring with a sparkling diamond perched atop it.

“Byun Baekhyun...”

Baekhyun swallowed hard, fresh tears falling from his eyes as he laughed softly.

“Will you marry me?”

 

 

 

\--:--

 

 

 

 

 


	16. My Happy Ending (Epilogue)

**_February 3 rd, 1877_ **

**_2:45 p.m._ **

 

“What if I mess up the vows??” Baekhyun asked nervously as he looked in the mirror, fastening the buttons on his white tuxedo.

His Korean was almost fluent now as Chanyeol had been true to his word and helped him study nearly every day for the past five months.

“You’re not gonna mess up the vows, hyung,” his best friend replied.

“You don’t know that, Hyuk,” Baek shot back.

He then turned to the younger male with long, blonde hair standing beside him and frowned anxiously.  “Minki, what if I freeze?”

“You won’t.”

“What if I do—”

“You _WON’T_ ,” Minki said as he grabbed his older brother by the arms.  “Now, relax.  Being stressed out isn’t going to do you any good.”

Baekhyun sighed.  “I know... I’m just... I don’t know... I’m freaking out.”

“Of course, you are,” his other best friend chimed in, a lollipop in his mouth as he leaned against the wall.  “You’re getting married.  It’s a huge deal!”

Minki shot him a look.  “Not helping, Taehyung.  And get that sucker out of your mouth.”

Taehyung rolled his eyes.  “Yes, mother,” he mumbled, tossing the lollipop in the trash.

“Don’t make me smack you on my brother’s wedding day,” Minki replied before turning his attention to Baekhyun as he smoothed out the front of his shirt.  “Don’t worry, hyung,” he told him with a smile.  “You’re gonna do just fine.”

“You think so...?” Baekhyun asked uncertainly.

“I _know_ so,” his brother answered.

“Thanks, Ren,” Baekhyun said, and Minki smiled at the familiar nickname.

“Hey, what are brothers for, right?”

Baekhyun nodded then turned his attention to both of his bridesmaids.  “Well...how do I look?”

“You look great, hyung,” Hyuk said with a smile, and Taehyung nodded.

“Yeah, you look hot.  Hubby’s gonna have a real hard time keepin’ his hands off you ‘til tonight.”

“Kim Taehyung!” Minki snapped, and Taehyung laughed.

Baekhyun blushed.  “Shut up, Tae.”

“Yeah, shut up, Tae,” Hyuk added, giving him a small punch to the arm.

“Yah!” Taehyung pouted, rubbing his arm.  “I’m just teasing him.  Sheesh.”

Minki shook his head and sighed.  “Children.  I swear.”

Baekhyun bit his lip and chuckled a little.

“How do we look?” Hyuk asked.

Baekhyun smiled, looking at the three men in light pink suits.  Each of them wore a belt to represent the color of their tails since they were in human form at the moment—Hyuk’s was blue, Taehyung’s was green, and Minki’s was purple.  It was Chanyeol’s idea.  He had told Baekhyun that he wanted him and his kind to feel welcome.  Baekhyun had given him extra kisses that night.

“Well, we better get going,” Minki said.  “See you out there, okay?”

Baekhyun nodded slightly.  “Yeah.”

Minki smiled and gave him a hug.  “Have fun, hyung.  You’re getting married.”

“I know,” Baekhyun replied, hugging back.

Minki pulled away and gave him one last reassuring smile before turning to the others.  “Alright! Out with ya! March!”

Hyuk and Taehyung rolled their eyes playfully and each gave Baekhyun a quick hug before leaving the room with Minki following behind.  After they left, Baekhyun noticed a small item sitting on the chair behind him. 

“Damn, Minki forgot his bag.”

He grabbed it and opened the door quickly, hoping to catch up with him.

“Shoot, I left my bag.  Hang on, you two,” he heard his brother say from down the hall.

Baekhyun rounded the corner and was about to hand it to him when, suddenly, he crashed into a tall, muscular body.  The man grunted, and Baekhyun looked up at the tall stranger in front of him, his eyes widening as he stuttered his words.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” he said to the man, bowing quickly.  “I didn’t see you there!  Please forgive me!”

“It’s quite alright,” the man replied with the softest voice Baekhyun had ever heard, a voice that completely clashed with the powerful aura that the man was giving off.  “It was my fault.”

Before Baekhyun could think of a reply, he was cut off.

“Baekhyun-ah! Hyung, what are you doing?” Minki asked as he came back with the other two trailing behind him.

Baekhyun blinked.  “Huh...?  Oh, you forgot your bag.”

Minki breathed a sigh in relief as his brother handed it to him.  “I know.  Thanks.”

Taehyung and Hyuk caught up to them and stared not-so-politely at the taller man.

“Umm...hyung, what’s going on?” Hyuk asked.

“I came to give Minki his bag when I slammed into this gentleman.  Again, I’m so sorry, sir,” he said to the man who just shook his head.

Taehyung’s eyes lit up, and he tried in vain to suppress a giggle.

Baekhyun stared at the stranger.  “I’m sorry... I don’t believe we’ve met...”

“No, we haven’t,” the man replied with a bow.

Baekhyun bowed back.  “I’m Baekhyun.”

The man chuckled.  “Of course, you are.  You don’t think I’m aware of who my baby brother is marrying?”

Baekhyun stood there dumbstruck.  “Y-You’re King Taekwoon??”

The man smiled and nodded.  “I am.”

“Oh my god!!  I-I’m so sorry!!” Baekhyun said before he and his astonished bridesmaids bowed several times.  “I had no idea that you were coming, sir!”

Taekwoon chuckled and placed his hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder to stop him from bowing for a fourth time.  “Don’t worry about it.  And please, call me Taekwoon, or hyung.  No need for the formalities.  We will be family in about twenty minutes, after all.”

Baekhyun smiled shyly, nodding.  “True... Alright, Taekwoon hyung.  It’s very nice to meet you.  Channie has talked about you many times.”

“Ahh,” he replied.  “Speaking of Chanyeol, do you know where he is?  I should like to pay him a visit before the ceremony begins.  He doesn’t know I’m here, you see.  I should like to surprise him.”

Baekhyun’s smile brightened.  “Yes, he’s in the room down the hall.  He’s getting ready.”

Taekwoon nodded.  “Thank you, dongsaeng.  I shall head there now.  See you at the ceremony then.”

Baekhyun nodded and waved as the king walked down the hall with a graceful air about him.

“I can’t believe we just met the king,” Hyuk stated, still in a bit in shock.

“Alright, enough messing around.  We need to go,” Minki said, pushing the boys down the hall.  “Finish getting ready, Baekhyunnie.”

“I know,” Baekhyun answered and headed back into his room.

When the door closed, Baekhyun looked in the mirror and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

“I’m getting married,” he whispered to himself.

 

\--

 

In the other room, his groom was having similar issues.

“Hyung, relax.  You look fine.”

Chanyeol took a deep breath and released it with a sigh as one of his groomsmen helped him put on his bowtie.

“How can I relax, Jaehwan?  It’s my wedding day,” Chanyeol replied.

“This is why I’m never getting married,” the second groomsman said.

“Hush, Binnie.  You’re not helping the situation,” Jaehwan scolded.

Hongbin rolled his eyes, fixing his cuffs.  “I’m just saying.”

“We’re not all eternal bachelors like you, Hong,” Chanyeol said.  “This is the best day of my life.  That’s partly why I’m so nervous.  What if I screw it up...?”

“You won’t screw it up,” Jaehwan answered, smoothing out Chanyeol’s sleeves.  “Everyone gets jitters on their wedding day.  It’s normal.  But you’ll do great.”

Chanyeol chewed his lip.  “Promise?”

Jaehwan chuckled.  “I promise.  Now, breathe.”

Chanyeol nodded, taking some deep breaths and relaxing a little.

Suddenly, a soft voice filled the room.  “Now, what’s all this I hear about jitters?”

Chanyeol gasped and whipped around, smiling brightly when he saw the source of the voice.

“Hyung!!” he cried out, running to his older brother and attacking him with a bear hug.

Taekwoon laughed, hugging back tightly.

“You made it!!” Chanyeol exclaimed happily.

Taekwoon pulled back, placing his hands on his brother’s shoulders.  “Of course, I did.  How could I miss my dongsaeng’s wedding?  I did promise him that I'd be his best man, after all.”

“I can’t believe you’re really here,” Chanyeol said, tears of joy filling his eyes.  “I wasn’t expecting you for at least another week.”

“Yes, I know.  Once I heard the news of your nuptials, I worked extra hard to finish early so that I could make it home in time.”

Chanyeol sniffed and wiped his eyes.  “I missed you so much.”

Taekwoon smiled softly.  “I missed you, too, dongsaeng.”

“Are you staying for a while this time...?”

Taekwoon nodded.  “Yes.  I’m done with my overseas work now.  I’m home for good.”

Chanyeol beamed happily and hugged his brother once again, his heart overflowing with joy.  “I’m so happy that you’re home, hyung.”

“I am, too,” Taekwoon said, squeezing him tightly, chuckling.  “Now, don’t be nervous.  You’re going to do great.  You have quite the beautiful bride, by the way.  You weren’t lying when you said he was gorgeous.  You’re very lucky.”

Chanyeol pulled back.  “You met him?”

Taekwoon chuckled.  “You could say we _ran_ into one another.  We crashed into each other in the hall.  He looked so shocked when he realized who I was.”

Chanyeol laughed softly.  “Yeah, I can imagine.  Neither of us had any idea you would be here.”

Taekwoon smiled, patting his shoulder.  “Well, I’m glad that I made it.  Now, let’s get you married.”

 

\--

 

Chanyeol lost track of the words of the man reading the script because he was too enraptured by the sight of the young male standing in front of him.  Baekhyun was staring back at him with loving eyes, and his hands trembled as Chanyeol held them.  It took him a moment to realize that the man had stopped talking, and behind him, Jaehwan cleared his throat.

Chanyeol blinked, looking up.  “What...? Sorry, I didn’t hear that part...”

There were a few soft chuckles in the audience, and the man shook his head in amusement before repeating his words.

“I asked, Mr. Park, if you take Mr. Byun to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to cherish as long as you both shall live?”

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun and smiled softly.  “I do,” he said.  “With all of my heart.”

As Baekhyun was asked the same question, his eyes filled with tears as he looked at Chanyeol happily.  “I do,” he whispered.

A few tears slid down his cheeks, and Chanyeol leaned in, kissing them softly.  A few _awww’_ s were heard in the crowd, and Baekhyun gave a small laugh, his cheeks turning pink.

Behind Chanyeol, Hongbin was standing next to Jaehwan and Taekwoon, his hands clasped in front of him politely.  His eyes, however, were stuck on the man on the other side of the couple.  A man with delicate features, dark brown eyes, and long, white-gold hair.

Minki had been watching the couple happily when he spotted one of the groomsmen watching him.  He had pitch black hair that was hung sharply over one half of his face so that only one eye was visible.  His muscles were taut, his shoulders broad.  And he was ogling Minki so obviously, not even trying to hide it.

Minki made a _what-are-you-staring-at_ look, and Hongbin bit his lip in a devilish smirk before running his gaze up and down Minki’s body in a clearly sexual way.  Minki wasn’t fazed, however, and only raised his eyebrow in a silent _you-can’t-be-serious_ before rolling his eyes and turning his attention back to his brother.

After the rings had been exchanged, Chanyeol lifted Baekhyun’s hands to his mouth and kissed his knuckles softly.  Baekhyun smiled through wet eyes, his heart aching at how much happiness was flowing from it.

“I now pronounce you man and husband.  Park Chanyeol, you may kiss your groom.”

Chanyeol smiled brightly and pulled Baekhyun close, enfolding his arms around him as he kissed him deeply.  Baekhyun kissed back passionately, and his arms drifted up to wrap around his husband’s neck. The crowd was cheering loudly, but Baekhyun heard none of it.  He was too lost in the human that had stolen his heart.  Chanyeol had it all wrong.  It wasn’t his life that had been saved that fateful night on the beach.  It was Baekhyun’s.

 

 

\--:--

 

 

 

 


End file.
